Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterA new spot-fixing scandal has emerged in the build-up to this months 48-team North America tournament.FIFA World Cup 2026, being played across Canada, Mexico and the United States of America, has been hit with early controversy before the kick of a football.An investigation claims to have uncovered corruption across sport on every continent, including some of the worlds largest events both within the game of football and in other sports.Latest Videos FromWatch full video here: You may like Why there could be more cards than ever before at World Cup 2026 Why 2026 FIFA World Cup could be the hottest ever How to get last-minute World Cup tickets as FIFA reveal new 'first-come, first-served' policy Two offences, one alleged to have occurred mere weeks agoAccording to a report from Jacob Whitehead of The Athletic, two players heading to World Cup 2026 are embroiled in a new spot-fixing scandal.Each player has been reported to the national federations of where they play club football by independent integrity experts over spot-fixing suspicions.Get a Surfshark VPN in time for the World Cup HERE!Pick up an extra three months of service and up to a $30/�30 Amazon Gift Card when purchasing a two-year subscription plan.View DealBoth players are alleged to have deliberately received yellow cards in matches played within the last year, but are now heading to North America to compete in footballs most prestigious tournament.One of those offences is also believed to have occurred weeks ago, revealing possible recent activity as opposed to older offences at lower levels of the game.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Earlier this season, a player is alleged to have deliberately received a yellow card during a league fixture to ensure they served a suspension prior to an upcoming derby, thus guaranteeing their availability.The scheme was reportedly concocted and discussed far enough in advance to cause a bizarrely high level of stakes on said player being booked, causing the match to be flagged by monitoring systems.The other case occurred last month when a similar alert was triggered - two separate bookmakers reported suspicious betting activity.The bets in question were placed on a player receiving a first-half yellow card, which came to fruition after the footballer in question committed three fouls in under five first-half minutes.Neither of the players involved were named in the report, so as to not compromise any active investigations into the alleged offences.When asked if match-fixing had been discussed in advance of the World Cup 2026, FIFA responded: FIFA has a zero tolerance policy against match manipulation and provides a dedicated, highly secure and web-based whistleblowing system so that any individuals can report any form of knowledge of potential match manipulation or integrity-related misconduct."TOPICSWorld CupWorld Cup 2026Kedar BayleySocial Links NavigationFreelance WriterKedar Bayley is a trained journalist specialising in culture reporting. As a fan of Liverpool FC,he writes on the Reds often. Knowledgable about all things sports, cinema and television,you can find his words in Screen International, FourFourTwo, Manchester Evening News and more.
