FIFA advanced integrity and security preparations for the 2026 World Cup during a strategic meeting held in Miami, United States.
The meeting took place on May 7th and brought together representatives from sporting entities, international bodies, monitoring companies and public security authorities.
The FIFA Integrity Task Force meeting in Coral Gables defined measures against match manipulation and risks in sports betting.
Additionally, the group evaluated operational protocols, communication mechanisms and rapid response strategies for possible incidents during the tournament.
FIFA also reviewed the monitoring plan it will use throughout the competition. The model includes real-time supervision tools, alert escalation processes and division of responsibilities between task force members.
How FIFA intends to protect the integrity of the World Cup
The entity presented updates on the integrity actions developed before the start of the competition. These include informative meetings aimed at participating associations, referees and professionals directly involved in the matches.
FIFA will also expand the provision of educational materials on sporting integrity to athletes through the official FIFA Player app.
In this context, the entity intends to strengthen awareness of risks linked to game manipulation, suspicious bets and official reporting channels.
Another important point of the meeting involved the assessment of risks related to the global sports betting market.
Representatives from Sportradar, International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (ULIS), Genius Sports and Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) presented updated analyzes on sector movements and possible vulnerabilities before the start of the World Cup.
Additionally, participants discussed the growth of new products linked to the betting market, including prediction markets and emerging consumer-facing platforms.
Specialized companies also shared information on monitoring standards and identification of activities considered suspicious.
Which entities participated in the task force meeting
The task force also analyzed threats related to competition security and information sharing strategies between different institutions.
During the discussions, representatives highlighted the importance of coordinated actions between internal FIFA units, public authorities and international partners.
FIFA’s legal and compliance director, Emilio García Silvero, highlighted the importance of collaboration between the members of the task force.
According to Silvero, “This event was structured to encourage active engagement and solution-oriented dialogue, reinforcing collaboration as a cornerstone of FIFA’s approach to integrity.
The Integrity Task Force has a clear and important mandate: to safeguard the 2026 FIFA World Cup through vigilance, coordination and decisive action.”
The meeting was attended by representatives from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), African Football Confederation (CAF), Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Football Associations (Concacaf), South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), in addition to the football federations of the United States, Canada and Mexico..
The meeting also brought together members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United States Department of Justice. Additionally, representatives from Sport Integrity Canada and other organizations involved in sports monitoring and betting integrity participated in the discussions.
