Efforts to curb match-fixing across global sport showed modest but notable progress in 2025, with the total number of suspicious matches falling by 1 per cent compared with the previous year. According to Sportradar’s annual report, Integrity in Action 2025: Global Analysis and Trends, 1,116 suspicious matches were identified worldwide after monitoring nearly one million events across 70 different sports.
Sportradar, the Switzerland-based sports data intelligence firm and integrity partner to leading bodies including FIFA, UEFA and CONMEBOL, attributed the marginal improvement to enhanced surveillance systems, stricter legal enforcement, and growing educational initiatives aimed at athletes and officials. The report notes that more than 99.5 per cent of sporting events worldwide were monitored without raising suspicion, suggesting that coordinated global integrity measures are yielding measurable results. On average, one in every 326 matches played globally in 2025 was flagged as suspicious.
Regional Trends
Europe once again recorded the highest number of suspicious matches, though the continent demonstrated improvement. The total fell from 451 cases in 2024 to 385 in 2025 — a decrease of 66 matches. South America also saw progress, reporting 64 fewer suspicious fixtures than the previous year.
However, the picture was less encouraging elsewhere. Asia recorded an increase of 36 cases, Africa 43, and North and Central America 41. Particularly concerning was Africa, where suspicious matches rose by 92 per cent between 2024 and 2025.
| Region | 2024 Cases | 2025 Cases | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 451 | 385 | –66 |
| South America | — | — | –64 |
| Asia | — | — | +36 |
| Africa | — | — | +43 |
| North & Central America | — | — | +41 |
Sport-by-Sport Breakdown
Football remains the sport most affected by match-fixing, though its figures have steadily declined in recent years. In 2025, 618 suspicious football matches were recorded — down 15 per cent from 730 in 2024. For context, the figures stood at 881 in 2023 and 777 in 2022. Football accounted for 55 per cent of all suspicious matches in 2025, compared with 65 per cent the previous year.
| Sport | Suspicious Matches (2025) |
|---|---|
| Football | 618 |
| Basketball | 233 |
| Tennis | 78 |
| Table Tennis | 65 |
| Cricket | 59 |
Basketball ranked second with 233 cases, followed by tennis (78), table tennis (65), and cricket (59). While cricket’s overall number appears comparatively modest, the increase is striking. The 59 suspicious cricket matches recorded in 2025 represent nearly three times the 16 cases identified in 2024. In previous years, the figures were 13 (2023), 13 (2022), and 9 (2021). The expansion of T20 competitions is widely believed to have contributed to this surge.
Asia emerged as the focal point of suspicious cricket activity, accounting for 69 per cent of cases across six countries. North and Central America represented 17 per cent — marking the first time multiple suspicious cricket matches were detected in that region — while Europe accounted for 12 per cent. Notably, 91 per cent of cricket-related suspicions involved spot-fixing rather than attempts to alter final results.
Commenting on the findings, Andreas Krannich, Executive Vice-President of Integrity Services at Sportradar, warned: “Match-fixing remains a growing threat. To stay ahead of those seeking to corrupt sport, sustained investment in technology, intelligence, education and international cooperation is essential.”
Although 2025 shows incremental progress, the data underscores a persistent and evolving challenge that continues to demand vigilant global oversight.