Brazil Joins Global Convention to Strengthen Fight Against Sports Match-Fixing

Brazil takes a major step towards international cooperation against sports manipulation, giving law enforcement authorities improved access to intelligence, evidence and information on suspicious betting activities worldwide.

Brazil has formally joined the international effort to combat match-fixing by signing the Council of Europe's Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, commonly known as the Macolin Convention. The move, formalised on October 30, 2026, in Strasbourg, France, marks an important development in the country's efforts to protect the integrity of sporting competitions and tackle increasingly sophisticated forms of organised sports fraud.

The agreement was signed by Brazil's Ambassador to France and Monaco, Ricardo Neiva Tavares, at the Council of Europe's headquarters. Brazil becomes the first Latin American country to sign the convention, extending the treaty's reach beyond Europe and strengthening international cooperation against the manipulation of sporting results.

The growing scale of fraud in sporting competitions has made match-fixing an increasingly international problem, requiring faster responses and closer coordination between national authorities. Criminal networks are no longer operating exclusively within domestic sporting markets. Instead, investigations have revealed cross-border operations involving financial intermediaries, betting activity and attempts to influence the outcomes of competitions in different countries.

Brazil's accession is intended to address these challenges by improving the exchange of intelligence and facilitating cooperation between law enforcement agencies and international institutions.

Direct international cooperation and faster information exchange

One of the principal benefits of joining the Macolin Convention is the reduction of administrative barriers that can delay investigations involving multiple jurisdictions.

Under the framework, Brazilian authorities, including the Federal Police and the country's judicial institutions, will have access to more direct channels for exchanging information with their international counterparts. These channels will allow authorities to receive and share evidence, police reports and intelligence concerning suspected match-fixing operations.

The improved flow of information is particularly important for identifying suspicious betting patterns, issuing international alerts and investigating organised criminal groups attempting to recruit or financially influence athletes and other individuals involved in sporting competitions.

By facilitating faster communication between countries, the agreement is expected to help authorities identify connections between apparently isolated incidents and larger international criminal networks.

The convention also provides a framework for cooperation involving governments, law enforcement bodies, sports organisations, competition organisers and betting operators.

This broader approach recognises that combating match-fixing requires collaboration across both the sporting and betting industries.

Four ministries involved in securing Brazil's accession

Brazil's accession followed approximately one year of institutional and diplomatic work involving four federal ministries: Sport, Finance, Justice, and Foreign Affairs.

The coordinated effort reflects the cross-sectoral nature of sports manipulation, which involves not only sporting governance but also financial transactions, criminal investigations, betting-market supervision and international relations.

The involvement of these institutions is intended to strengthen Brazil's ability to respond to cases that extend beyond its borders and require cooperation with foreign authorities.

The Macolin Convention provides a common international framework through which participating countries can coordinate preventive measures, exchange information and support investigations into suspected manipulation.

Brazilian criminal networks increasingly involved in international match-fixing

Brazil's decision to strengthen international cooperation comes amid growing concerns about the scale and geographical reach of match-fixing activities connected to the country's sporting environment.

Police investigations have indicated that the problem is no longer limited to foreign criminal groups attempting to manipulate Brazilian competitions. Brazilian financial operators have also reportedly been involved in financing match-fixing schemes abroad.

One example involves operations targeting football competitions in Finland, where Brazilian-linked financial intermediaries were identified as having supported schemes designed to influence match outcomes.

The development illustrates how criminal networks can operate across national borders, using financial resources and betting-related activities to manipulate competitions far removed from their country of origin.

Such cases demonstrate why domestic investigations alone may be insufficient to identify the individuals financing, coordinating or benefiting from international match-fixing operations.

Match-fixing concerns extend beyond football

Another significant development highlighted by investigations is the expansion of manipulation attempts into sports beyond football.

Authorities have uncovered attempts by groups originating from Eastern Europe to influence the results of important matches in Brazil's top-tier basketball competitions.

The cases indicate that organised criminal networks are increasingly targeting different sporting disciplines, potentially exploiting gaps in monitoring and oversight across competitions.

While football has traditionally attracted considerable attention because of its popularity and extensive betting markets, basketball and other sports are also vulnerable to manipulation.

The international nature of these operations makes cooperation between Brazilian and European authorities particularly relevant. Access to information from foreign investigations could help identify criminal connections, trace financial relationships and establish links between suspicious betting activity and individuals attempting to influence sporting results.

Protecting sporting integrity and restoring confidence

Through its participation in the Macolin framework, Brazil hopes to improve the protection of clubs, athletes, competitions and supporters while strengthening its ability to identify and prosecute those responsible for match-fixing.

The agreement also reinforces the importance of cooperation between public authorities and legitimate betting operators, which can play a significant role in identifying unusual betting movements and reporting potential irregularities.

For Brazil, the challenge is not simply to investigate individual manipulated matches but to develop a more effective response to organised networks capable of operating across several countries and sporting disciplines.

The exchange of evidence, police intelligence and international alerts is expected to make investigations more coordinated and reduce the opportunities for criminal groups to exploit jurisdictional boundaries.

Brazil's signature therefore represents an important step in aligning its efforts with international standards for protecting sporting competitions. By strengthening its links with foreign authorities, the country aims to improve enforcement, discourage criminal interference and preserve public confidence in the fairness of sporting events.

The broader objective is to ensure that sporting results are determined by performances on the field or court rather than by financial interests and organised criminal activity.

By fLEXI tEAM