Brazil missing the target with its match-fixing drama

“This is f***ing corruption, it has to change,” protested an irate John Textor, owner of Rio de Janeiro football club Botafogo, speaking on live Brazilian television in November last year.

In front of their own fans, Botafogo had just thrown away a three-goal lead to lose to title rivals and eventual national champions Palmeiras, in what has already gone down as one of the biggest bottle jobs in Brazilian football history.

But Botafogo’s American owner refused to accept his team’s monumental capitulation on the pitch, and marched down to the field of play at the end of the match to air his conspiracy theories, in English, to anyone who would listen.

“You need to resign tomorrow morning, that’s what needs to happen,” said Mr. Textor, pointing his anger at Ednaldo Rodrigues, head of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), the country’s top football authority. “This championship has become a joke.”

While everyone watching Botafogo’s unprecedented collapse at the business end of the 2023 Brazilian season was left incredulous and seeking explanations, the hypothesis that the Rio de Janeiro side lost the title because of “corruption” or any form of match-fixing is outrageous and baseless.

What is undeniable, however, is that the topic of match-fixing in Brazilian football has gained importance in recent years, accompanied by the meteoric rise of sports betting platforms in the country. Selling easy profits and endless entertainment, online bookmakers have taken over the sport in Brazil, sponsoring clubs, players, and the national championship itself.

Match-fixing in the spotlight

Indeed, the discussion has made its way to...