TLDR
- Sportradar flagged 1,116 suspicious matches in 2025 across 94 countries and 12 sports, less than 0.5% of over one million monitored events
- Match-fixing has shifted from rigging game outcomes to manipulating in-game events like corners and fouls
- Live betting markets account for 77% of all detected match-fixing cases
- Football leads with 618 suspicious matches, followed by basketball, tennis, and table tennis
- Fraud activity is moving from Europe and South America toward Asia and Africa
The total number of matches showing signs of match-fixing dropped in 2025, but experts warn the problem is not going away. Instead, it is evolving into something more complex and harder to catch.
Sportradar reported 1,116 matches with indicators of manipulation last year. Those matches spanned 94 countries and 12 different sports.
That figure represents less than 0.5% of the more than one million sporting events the organization monitored during the year.
While the raw numbers may look small, specialists say the nature of the fraud has changed. The schemes are now more advanced and involve fewer people, making them tougher to spot.
In-Game Events Replace Match Outcomes as Main Targets
Traditional match-fixing usually meant a team or player would deliberately lose a game. That approach is becoming less common.
Today, fixers are targeting specific in-game events instead. Things like the number of corners, fouls, or throw-ins have become the focus of manipulation.
Because these small events do not change the final result of a match, they are much harder for investigators to flag. The manipulation flies under the radar more easily.
These newer schemes also require fewer participants. A single player or official can influence a minor event without drawing attention from teammates or coaches.
Live betting has become a major factor in this shift. A total of 77% of all match-fixing cases detected in 2025 involved live betting markets.
Live betting allows bettors to place wagers during a game on specific events as they happen. This creates openings for those with inside knowledge to profit from manipulated moments.
Football Leads in Suspicious Matches as Fraud Shifts to New Regions
Football remains the sport most affected by match-fixing. Sportradar recorded 618 suspicious football matches in 2025.
Other sports seeing increased activity include basketball, tennis, and table tennis. These sports have grown as targets in recent years.
The geography of match-fixing is also changing. Europe and South America saw a decrease in suspicious activity in 2025.
At the same time, Asia and Africa experienced an increase. Experts believe fraudulent groups are moving to regions where monitoring and regulation are weaker.
Advances in artificial intelligence have helped detection efforts. Automated systems can now scan betting markets and identify suspicious patterns faster than before.
The number of detected cases rose between 2024 and 2025, partly due to these improved tools. However, experts stress that human oversight is still essential to provide context that algorithms cannot.
Specialists told Sportradar that “the problem has not disappeared, it has simply changed form.”
Organizations like FIFA continue to invest in prevention programs. They have provided education about match-fixing risks to hundreds of thousands of people involved in sports.
Despite those efforts, fraudulent actors continue to adapt quickly to new regulations. Sportradar’s 2025 data showed that 77% of suspicious activity was concentrated in live betting markets, with football accounting for more than half of all flagged matches.
