April 11th News. FIFA President Infantino gave a speech via video at the first FIFA Integrity Summit hosted by the AFC and the FAS of Singapore. He warned that the phenomenon of match manipulation has not disappeared. "We must ensure that the competition environment remains fair and that the competition is not affected by external malicious influences, because if we do not do so, the existence of our beloved sport will be threatened. We must remain vigilant." A report from Starlizard Integrity Services last month found that in 2023, football match-fixing related to gambling increased by 16% compared to 2022. Starlizard analyzed 65,441 football matches in 2023, involving 835 matches in 128 different countries. A total of 167 matches showed potential signs of manipulation, accounting for 0.26% of the total number of analyzed matches. Infantino believes that this problem must be jointly solved by FIFA and its member associations. "FIFA is committed to preventing and sanctioning all forms of match manipulation, corruption, and other unethical or illegal activities, but we can only do this with your help. The member associations of FIFA have the responsibility to combat and deal with match manipulation on their territories, and no one is exempt from this threat." Infantino emphasized the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which was renewed in New York last September, aimed at providing knowledge and tools for national football associations to prevent and solve match-fixing. A key part of this commitment is to provide education and training for players, referees, and integrity officers. The two-day summit held in Singapore is aimed at the integrity officers of FIFA's 211 member associations and six federations. The topics include introducing global integrity trends to the participants, sharing best practices, and showcasing the new FIFA integrity manual and educational roadmap. The keynote speakers from FIFA, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and law enforcement officers involved in combating match manipulation also attended the meeting.
