Euro 2024 ends with zero integrity concerns, UEFA says

Euro 2024 concluded without any integrity concerns, according to UEFA. Following Spain's victory in the tournament, UEFA confirmed that there were no indications of match-fixing or manipulation.

UEFA remains vigilant about soccer match-fixing

While an event of such stature typically minimizes the risk of foul play, UEFA emphasized in a statement that it collaborated closely with the International Betting and Integrity Association (IBIA) to monitor all events and betting patterns, given the substantial betting interest in what has been one of the highest-grossing soccer tournaments of all times. Celebrities and regular folk were among the people queuing up to place a flutter.

Conor McGregor, the UFC fighter and boxer turned social media personality, made a significant wager on Spain to win the championship, earning $1.1 million in the process. He narrowly missed out on an additional $2.7 million when Spain failed to secure the exact 3-1 score he had bet on. Despite this, La Roja clinched a hard-fought victory with a 2-1 score, thanks to Mikel Oyarzabal's goal in the 86th minute.

UEFA undertook extensive precautions, including tapping into global monitoring programs like IBIA's and conducting thorough workshops for its staff before the event. Furthermore, UEFA established a broader coalition with Interpol, the Council of Europe, Sportradar, and the United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports to enhance monitoring efforts.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin praised the concerted efforts to safeguard the integrity of sports betting, stating, "Match-fixing poses a significant threat to the integrity of the beautiful game."

The black market does not need to rig games

While there were no expectations of match-fixing during Euro 2024, stringent safety measures were implemented to prevent any such incidents that could tarnish the reputation of the nations involved.

Yet, there have been indications that bad actors have thrived around the time of Euro 2024.

Although not manipulating the games outright, many black market operators have been able to compete against the regulated market in places such as France, where a trade bodysaid earlier this month that the size of the black market is quite possibly overtaking the regulated betting landscape already, and especially in the context of the recently-concluded Euro 2024 tournament.

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