The international body tasked with governing soccer and developing the game around the world, FIFA, announced that its Integrity Task Force held its first meeting in Zurich. The recent meeting comes ahead of the kick-off of the FIFA World Cup 2022 set for November 20 in Qatar. During the recent meeting, FIFA’s Integrity Task Force unveiled multiple collaborations with different organizations that seek to safeguard the integrity of the sport.
Key Organizations Support FIFA’s Integrity Task Force
According to FIFA, its task force was founded in line with its “core objective of safeguarding and promoting the integrity of soccer across all its competitions.” The Integrity Task Force will help FIFA in monitoring all of the matches from the World Cup. At the same time, the Task Force will monitor the betting activities related to those matches. This marks the first time FIFA monitors the betting markets, which is expected to help strengthen the integrity of the sport.
“Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the principal law enforcement and investigative service of the United States will be joining the group to contribute with its experience and expertise, also in preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2026,“
reads a statement released by FIFA
To ensure the integrity of the sport and handling of possible integrity matters, FIFA unveiled multiple collaborations with different organizations. It joined forces with Sportradar, the Council of Europe and its Group of Copenhagen, the Global Lottery Monitoring System, as well as Qatar Safety and Security Operations Committee. Previously, FIFA inked an agreement with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime back in 2020. Now, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime will support the work of FIFA’s Integrity Task Force as well.
Further strengthening the integrity efforts will be INTERPOL, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Ultimately, FIFA will benefit from the FBI’s expertise and innovative investigation services. Moreover, the collaboration with the FBI comes ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Ensuring the Integrity of Soccer Is a Core Objective of FIFA
Protecting the integrity of soccer is one of FIFA’s core objectives. Fighting against match-fixing and unlawful practices, the global soccer governing body has implemented multiple approaches. The creation of the Integrity Task Force is only one of the methods used by FIFA to boost soccer integrity. Besides safeguarding the sport from malpractices, different integrity initiatives seek to protect the public, as well as professional athletes.