The Group of Copenhagen tracked an estimated $240 billion in wagers, including prediction markets monitored continuously at a major event for the first time.
FIFA said the 2026 World Cup showed no substantiated suspicious betting after its Integrity Task Force monitored all 104 matches in real time and found no indication any fixture had been manipulated. The finding came as the Council of Europe said the Group of Copenhagen issued seven Yellow Notices during its separate operation, while placing 15 matches under enhanced monitoring and reviewing 12 major controversies for possible integrity risks. The alerts were the lowest level above green on the network’s four-tier scale, and no orange or red notices were issued. The Group says Yellow Notices cover unexplained odds swings, social-media rumours or source information and are not proof of manipulation. FIFA said task-force members shared and assessed alerts before reaching their final conclusion, and the Council of Europe’s summary did not say any notice turned into confirmed suspicious betting. The tournament generated an estimated $240 billion in wagers, about double Qatar 2022, underscoring the scale of the monitoring effort. Fourteen national platforms took part, examining betting markets, odds moves, withdrawn offers, open-source material, social-media intelligence and people previously suspected of sports manipulation. The operation also marked the first time the Group of Copenhagen continuously monitored prediction markets (platforms where users trade on event outcomes) during a major international sporting event. Public disclosures did not identify Kalshi, Polymarket, ADI Predictstreet or any other platform as the source of a Yellow Notice, nor did they explain how the seven alerts were resolved or whether any information went to regulators. The Athletic, citing sources briefed on the report, said flagged cases involved red cards, large transactions and new markets. FIFA’s conclusion remains that the tournament was clean, but the episode shows prediction markets are now a lasting part of football integrity surveillance.