Sports
Türkiye’s ref saga deepens as 18 held in expanding betting probe
Turkish authorities widened their crackdown on corruption in football Friday, detaining 18 people – including referees and club officials – amid a sweeping investigation into illegal betting and match-fixing that has thrown the sport into crisis.
The probe, described by prosecutors as one of the most extensive in Turkish sporting history, is targeting individuals suspected of manipulating results and profiting from insider knowledge within the country’s top leagues.
“Clean Hands” operation
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that 21 arrest warrants were issued across 12 provinces, targeting 17 referees and high-ranking club figures.
Among them is Murat Özkaya, president of Eyüpspor, who is accused of using his position to influence betting outcomes.
Though details remain classified, prosecutors said the detentions stem from suspicions of “abuse of duty” and “manipulation of match results.”
The investigation forms part of the broader “Clean Hands” operation, launched in late October after internal audits revealed widespread betting among referees.
What began as a disciplinary matter within the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has now escalated into a criminal case implicating dozens of match officials and exposing a web of financial misconduct.
Authorities have described the network as “multi-layered,” allegedly involving intermediaries who used referees’ betting accounts to place large wagers on domestic and international matches.
Prosecutors believe some referees may have shared confidential lineup or injury information ahead of matches, giving illegal bookmakers a crucial edge.
How the scandal broke
The crisis erupted publicly on Oct. 27 when TFF President Ibrahim Hacıosmanoğlu announced that an internal audit – conducted in coordination with Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) – had uncovered evidence that 371 of the country’s 571 referees held online betting accounts.
Of these, 152 were found to have placed wagers, including seven Süper Lig referees and 15 top-tier assistants.
The findings were staggering: one referee allegedly placed bets on 18,227 matches over five years, while others bet on thousands of fixtures, sometimes on competitions they officiated.
Though the TFF did not immediately name the individuals involved, the revelation sent shockwaves through the football community and prompted the federation’s Disciplinary Council to suspend 149 referees for between eight and twelve months.
Hacıosmanoğlu framed the purge as a moral and institutional necessity. “This is not about numbers – it’s about credibility,” he declared at the time. “We cannot have referees who gamble, no matter the scale.”
Eyüpspor connection
Attention has increasingly turned to Eyüpspor, one of the most promising stories in Turkish football this season after earning promotion to the Süper Lig.
Its president, Murat Özkaya, is accused of being part of a ring that facilitated betting through club-linked accounts.
Investigators suspect that illegal profits were laundered through sponsorship and transfer deals.
Meanwhile, Fatih Saraç, the former owner of Kasımpaşa, has also been drawn into related probes.
The Istanbul-based club was placed under judicial trusteeship earlier this year after irregularities were found in its parent company’s finances.
While Saraç has not been charged, prosecutors are examining potential overlaps between the Kasımpaşa inquiry and the referees’ betting network.
A senior justice official speaking on condition of anonymity said the case “could reveal the deepest corruption in Turkish football since 2011,” referring to the infamous match-fixing scandal that led to criminal convictions and lifetime bans for several players and club executives.
Referees push back
The accused referees, many of whom have yet to be formally charged, have strongly denied wrongdoing.
In a joint statement issued Wednesday, 152 officials acknowledged that some held betting accounts in the past but insisted these were “inactive” and unrelated to matches they officiated.
They called the suspensions “collective punishment” and accused the TFF of acting under political pressure amid the Clean Hands campaign.
Their statement argued that the audit inflated figures by including accounts opened during amateur careers or used for non-football wagers. “We are not criminals,” the referees wrote. “We are being sacrificed to create the illusion of reform.”
Despite these protests, public sentiment remains unforgiving.
Fan groups across Türkiye have demanded full transparency and accountability, with banners at recent Süper Lig matches reading, “No justice, no game.”
Fallout and future implications
The fallout from the scandal has been swift and far-reaching.
With dozens of referees suspended or under investigation, the TFF has been forced to fast-track new referee training programs to fill gaps in the ongoing season.
Matches have already been postponed in the lower divisions due to shortages of qualified officials.
Financially, the scandal risks scaring off sponsors and investors at a time when Turkish football is struggling with debt and declining attendance.
Analysts warn that if proven, the allegations could trigger UEFA and FIFA disciplinary action, potentially leading to the suspension of Turkish referees from international tournaments.
On Thursday, UEFA issued a statement urging the TFF to ensure “full transparency and procedural integrity,” adding that “any compromise in match integrity endangers the credibility of European football.”
Hacıosmanoğlu has vowed to rebuild public trust, pledging to expand VAR monitoring and introduce AI-driven systems capable of detecting betting anomalies in real time. “This is a wake-up call,” he said. “We will clean our house, no matter how deep we must dig.”
Substitute Lionel Messi came off the bench to score his sixth goal of the World Cup as Argentina beat Jordan 3-1 on Saturday, extending their winning momentum ahead of a last-32 with Cape Verde.
The ageless Messi tops the scoring charts in North America as the tournament heads into the last 32.
Cape Verde’s players will be wondering how they can stop Messi when the debutants, ranked 67, face the champions on July 3 in Miami.
With qualification already in the bag, Messi started on the bench but came on after an hour in Texas to huge cheers to get his side’s third with a free kick.
Argentina finished emphatically top of Group J with maximum points after also beating Algeria 3-0 and defeating Austria 2-0, all those goals coming from Messi.
The holders and their 39-year-old talisman look formidable, albeit in one of the weaker groups.
Coach Lionel Scaloni said Messi could have played the full game.
“But he chose to let his teammates have minutes, he chose to think about what’s coming and that speaks volumes about him,” he said.
Giovani Lo Celso, who scored Argentina’s first of the evening, said it had been almost the perfect group stage.
“We knew we had very tough opponents, that it wasn’t going to be easy,” he said.
“It’s a pity about the goal we conceded today, we would’ve liked to end with a clean sheet.”
“Still, I think it was a very good group stage. Now the most important part begins.”
“From now on, it’s about turning the page and thinking about Cape Verde, who will be a very tough opponent,” he added.
Fans demand Messi
A much-changed Argentina scored in the first half through a Lo Celso free-kick and a penalty by Lautaro Martinez.
Mousa al-Tamari pulled one back 10 minutes after halftime for Jordan, whose first World Cup was already over.
Scaloni made nine changes, retaining only goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and forward Lautaro Martinez from the Austria win.
Jordan were already eliminated after defeats to Algeria and Austria, rendering the match inconsequential in terms of the tournament.
But competition in the Argentina squad is fierce and Scaloni wanted his side to join France and co-hosts Mexico with nine points.
Argentina also wanted to make a statement ahead of the meeting with surprise packages Cape Verde as they attempt to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups.
The home of the Dallas Cowboys was packed with Argentina fans and their team dominated from the off.
Lo Celso got the party started, bending in a free kick on 19 minutes that goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila got nowhere near having, inexplicably moved in the opposite direction.
A relaxed-looking Messi smiled broadly from the sidelines.
Soon after, the champions doubled their lead when Martinez rifled in a penalty following a VAR review when Marcos Senesi appeared to be kicked in the face as he went for a diving header.
Minutes after halftime the crowd began calling for their captain Messi, the leading scorer in World Cup history.
As he stripped off to come on, Tamari stabbed in from close range to pull a goal back and stun much of the stadium.
The match felt like a friendly after that, before Messi bent in a tame free kick with 10 minutes left to go with his hat trick against Algeria and brace versus Austria.
Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae has launched a strong rebuke against former Germany international Bastian Schweinsteiger, after comments made during World Cup punditry sparked accusations of stereotyping African football and reignited debate over bias in sports broadcasting.
The controversy emerged ahead of Germany’s Group E match against Ivory Coast in Toronto, when Bastian Schweinsteiger, working as a television analyst for German broadcaster ARD, described the Ivorian team as playing a style he labeled “a bit African football, a bit unorthodox, a bit wild, a bit perhaps not so conditioned by tactics,” adding that Germany should prepare for an unpredictable and chaotic opponent.
The phrasing immediately drew scrutiny for its generalization of an entire continent’s football identity. Critics said it reduced African teams to long-standing cliches about physicality and unpredictability, while downplaying tactical sophistication and structured play that many national teams, including Ivory Coast, now consistently demonstrate at elite level.
On the pitch, the match itself undercut any notion of imbalance. Germany edged a 2-1 win in Toronto, with substitute Deniz Undav scoring twice late on, including a stoppage-time winner after Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessie had put his side ahead. Ivory Coast still progressed from the group and later secured a historic milestone by reaching the knockout stage for the first time in their World Cup history following a 2-0 victory over Curaçao.
Fae addressed the remarks after that qualifying win in Philadelphia, expressing both personal disappointment and professional disagreement. He said he had long admired Schweinsteiger’s playing career, noting how deeply he respected the former Bayern Munich midfielder, making the comments even harder to accept.
“When I heard his comment, I was disappointed in the man,” Fae said. “It is odd he would speak that way.” He added that while he could not control outside opinions, Ivory Coast’s performances demonstrated a balanced identity built on tactical discipline, technical execution, and physical strength.
Fae went further in questioning the intent behind the remarks, suggesting they may have been “clumsy” or influenced by the pressures of punditry. He also pointed to what he described as a modern tendency among some analysts to lean on simplified narratives that generate attention but do not reflect the complexity of teams on the pitch.
The backlash extended beyond Ivory Coast’s camp. Journalist Philipp Awounou wrote in Der Spiegel that language such as “wild” and “unpredictable” carries historical weight rooted in colonial-era stereotypes that portrayed African societies as undisciplined or less developed. He emphasized that even when not intended as racist, such framing can reinforce harmful assumptions.
Anti-discrimination organization Kick It Out also criticized the remarks, highlighting ongoing concerns in football over how Black and African players and teams are described in media analysis.
Commentators and journalists in Germany similarly debated whether unconscious bias still shapes the vocabulary used to describe teams outside Europe.
Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp also reacted indirectly, declining to engage when questioned during a media appearance, calling the issue too serious for off-the-cuff comment.
Schweinsteiger later posted on social media acknowledging Ivory Coast’s technical quality and physical strength, but he did not directly address the wording that triggered criticism. As of the latest reports, neither he nor ARD had issued a formal apology or detailed clarification.
The incident has become part of a broader conversation in global football about how language shapes perception.
Ivory Coast’s squad, featuring players with top-level European experience such as Kessie and others, has been widely cited as an example of how African teams now operate with tactical structure comparable to the world’s elite.
A pre-match moment involving England defender Djed Spence and Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey has sparked widespread discussion after footage circulating on social media appeared to show Spence declining to take part in the traditional handshake before their World Cup Group L clash in Boston on Tuesday.
The video shows both squads lining up in the customary pre-kickoff greeting, with players moving down the line exchanging brief handshakes.
As Partey approached, Spence appeared to keep his hand in his pocket and did not visibly engage, instead moving past him. The moment was brief, partially obscured in broadcast coverage, but alternative angles shared online quickly amplified the incident and triggered debate among fans and pundits.
Neither Spence nor the Football Association addressed the moment publicly after the match, and there has been no official explanation from the England camp regarding the apparent snub. The lack of comment has only intensified scrutiny, particularly given the wider context surrounding Partey’s presence at the tournament.
The Ghana midfielder, 33, was met with a hostile reception throughout the match at Gillette Stadium. He was booed during the announcement of the starting lineups and again whenever he touched the ball in the opening stages of the Group L encounter. It marked his first appearance of the tournament after missing Ghana’s opener against Panama.
Partey’s participation has been closely watched due to ongoing legal proceedings in the United Kingdom. He has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of rape and sexual assault relating to allegations involving four women between 2020 and 2022. He is scheduled to stand trial next year and remains on bail, with the case continuing to draw significant public attention whenever he appears in a high-profile setting.
The midfielder’s travel and eligibility have also been a talking point during the tournament. Earlier in the competition, he was denied entry into Canada ahead of Ghana’s match against Panama before later being allowed into the United States after border officials confirmed his visa status and noted he had no criminal conviction.
Before the match against England, Partey said he felt “ready to play” despite the scrutiny surrounding him. Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz has repeatedly defended his selection, arguing that players should be judged on the pitch while the legal process runs its course, and emphasizing the presumption of innocence.
The match itself ended in a 0-0 draw, a disciplined and physical contest that left both sides level in Group L heading into a decisive final round of fixtures.
Ecuador pulled off a major upset against Germany on Thursday to secure a place in the round of 32 of the World Cup, as the Netherlands, Japan and Ivory Coast also advanced and the knockout bracket began to take shape.
The Netherlands completed their group stage with a 3-1 win over Tunisia to finish top of Group F, just ahead of Japan, which earned second place after a 1-1 draw with Sweden.
Sweden also moved on as one of the best third-place finishers.
The Dutch will now meet 2022 World Cup semifinalists Morocco in the round of 32, while Japan will take on Group C winner Brazil for a place in the round of 16.
In Group E, Ecuador sealed a tense 2-1 win over group winner Germany at MetLife Stadium. The breakthrough came 13 minutes from time when Gonzalo Plata poked home from close range, sending Ecuador through and shaking up the group standings.
Plata’s winner came after Ecuador recovered from an early setback when Germany took the lead through a controversial Leroy Sane goal in the second minute before Nilson Angulo equalized.
The result means Ecuador finished Group E with four points, securing a place in the round of 32 as one of the eight best third-place teams.
“The significance of this is not for me, it is for the people,” Ecuador coach Sebastian Beccacece said after the win.
“The players gave huge happiness to the people. We have to enjoy it and celebrate,” the Argentine coach added.
Germany had already been assured of winning the group after victories over Ivory Coast and Curacao.
But coach Julian Nagelsmann was left dismayed at what he described as “tactical suicide” against Ecuador.
“We got off to a great start,” Nagelsmann said. “Unfortunately, right after scoring, we started committing tactical suicide with our positioning. That makes things difficult.
“Ecuador had everything to play for, and you could tell. They had their foot on the gas.”
Ivory Coast, meanwhile, sealed the runners-up spot in Group E after defeating Curacao in Philadelphia, with Nicolas Pepe scoring twice in a 2-0 victory. It is the first time the West African nation has reached the knockout stage.
Curacao, the smallest country by population ever to play in the World Cup, departed the tournament with one point, finishing bottom of the group.
A packed slate of six games across the tournament on Thursday wrapped up in California in Group D.
The United States, which had already secured first place in the group after wins over Paraguay and Australia, fielded a heavily rotated lineup in a 3-2 loss to already eliminated Turkey at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Mauricio Pochettino made nine changes to his starting lineup and looked to have secured a draw until Kaan Ayhan scored in stoppage time to give the Turks the win in a match attended by a host of celebrities, including Brad Pitt.
In Santa Clara, Australia ground out a 0-0 draw with Paraguay to clinch second place in the group and a ticket to the round of 32.
Paraguay are also poised to advance as one of the best third-place teams.
Dutch attack firing
The Netherlands will head into next week’s duel with Morocco in Monterrey brimming with confidence after another strong attacking display in Group F, a 3-1 win over Tunisia in Kansas City.
An Ellyes Skhiri own goal was followed by goals from Brian Brobbey and Jan Paul van Hecke as Ronald Koeman’s side marched on against a Tunisia team that finished without a point.
Japan’s hopes of finishing top of the group and avoiding Brazil in the next round were frustrated in a 1-1 draw with Sweden.
A match in front of 70,000 fans in Texas came alive in the second half when Daizen Maeda gave Japan the lead with a well-worked team goal shortly after the break.
Sweden, which had been beaten 5-1 by the Netherlands in its second match, responded with a long-range effort from Anthony Elanga minutes later to secure third place.
“The boys were fantastic,” Sweden coach Graham Potter said. “Over the course of the game it was a fair result and arguably we were slightly the better team in the second half.”
Türkiye ended their FIFA World Cup campaign with a measure of redemption on Friday, as Kaan Ayhan struck with virtually the final kick of the match to seal a thrilling 3-2 victory over co-hosts the United States, handing Vincenzo Montella’s side their first and only win of the tournament.
Already eliminated after narrow defeats to Australia and Paraguay despite dominating long stretches of both matches, Türkiye finally found the cutting edge that had eluded them throughout the group stage. Ayhan’s dramatic winner, deep into the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time, ensured the Crescent-Stars left the tournament with three points and something positive to build on.
The result had no bearing on qualification. The United States had already secured top spot in Group D with victories over Paraguay and Australia and will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 on July 1 in Santa Clara, California. Still, the entertaining contest delivered five goals, end-to-end action and a dramatic finale before a packed crowd in Southern California.
The Americans, heavily rotated by coach Mauricio Pochettino, struck almost immediately.
Auston Trusty needed just three minutes to open the scoring, meeting Sebastian Berhalter’s inswinging corner with a first-time finish at the near post for his first international goal in his 10th appearance.
The early breakthrough briefly energized the home crowd, but the makeshift U.S. lineup struggled to establish any rhythm as Türkiye began exploiting the spaces between midfield and defense.
Their persistence paid off in the 10th minute.
Real Madrid midfielder Arda Güler, one of Türkiye’s brightest performers throughout the tournament, collected a pass from Barış Alper Yılmaz before calmly finishing to score Türkiye’s first goal of the World Cup and level the match at 1-1.
The goal also placed Güler in the history books. At 21 years and 120 days, he became the youngest Turkish player ever to score at a World Cup, surpassing Emre Belözoğlu’s record set in 2002.
Türkiye continued to dictate the tempo after the equalizer and completed the turnaround in the 31st minute.
Orkun Kökçü’s effort took a slight deflection off Yılmaz before beating goalkeeper Matt Turner, who was making his first start of the tournament after Matt Freese featured in the opening two matches.
The United States thought they had reclaimed the lead moments earlier through Mark McKenzie following another dangerous set piece, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
Instead, Türkiye entered halftime ahead 2-1 after producing their most effective attacking display of the tournament.
The hosts responded quickly after the break.
Berhalter, who had already assisted the opening goal, capped an impressive performance in the 49th minute when Türkiye failed to clear a long throw-in, allowing the midfielder to unleash a powerful strike into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the penalty area.
Pochettino then welcomed back his biggest attacking weapon.
Christian Pulisic made his return in the 58th minute after missing the Australia match and recovering from the calf injury that forced him off at halftime against Paraguay.
The U.S. captain immediately injected pace and urgency into the attack. Within minutes, he burst behind the Turkish defense only to be denied by goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır before forcing another superb fingertip save with a deflected effort moments later.
Despite the renewed pressure, Türkiye remained dangerous on the counterattack and continued to expose gaps in the American defense.
Montella, who made seven changes to his starting lineup after the team’s elimination, watched his substitutes make the decisive impact.
As stoppage time ticked away and the match appeared destined to finish level, chaos unfolded inside the U.S. penalty area.
Following sustained pressure, the ball broke kindly to substitute Kaan Ayhan at the far post, where the experienced defender calmly poked into an unguarded net in the eighth minute of added time, silencing the crowd and completing a memorable Turkish comeback.
The victory offered long-awaited reward for a Turkish side that had fired 62 shots across its previous two defeats but failed to score. This time, their attacking intent finally translated into goals and, ultimately, a victory.
For the United States, attention now quickly turns to the knockout stage, though concerns remain after Trusty was carried off on a stretcher late in the match with an apparent hamstring injury.
Pochettino had rested several regular starters, including Folarin Balogun, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson, all of whom were carrying yellow cards and risked suspension before disciplinary records reset after the group stage.
Five Americans, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally, Brenden Aaronson, Mark McKenzie and Giovanni Reyna, made their first World Cup starts as part of the heavily rotated lineup.
Although the defeat denied the Americans a perfect group-stage record, their place atop Group D had already been secured.
For Türkiye, however, Ayhan’s last-gasp finish provided a fitting reward after a frustrating tournament, allowing Montella’s side to return home with renewed confidence instead of lingering regret.
Among those attending the match at Los Angeles Stadium were Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Will Ferrell, Owen Wilson and Paris Hilton.
Senegal arrive at BMO Field on Friday with no margin left for error, needing a win over Iraq and a strong goal swing to stay alive in the 2026 World Cup race from Group I.
The situation is stark. Only the top eight third-placed teams advance, and Senegal sit at the bottom of that mini-table after a campaign defined by defensive mistakes and missed chances. Anything short of a convincing result would almost certainly end their tournament in North America.
Expectations were different when the draw placed Senegal alongside France and Norway. Instead of competing for top spot or a comfortable second-place route, Pape Thiaw’s side have been dragged into survival mode.
The turning point came in key moments they failed to control. Against France, Senegal held shape early and matched intensity for long stretches, but the game tilted once Kylian Mbappe began finding space between the lines. Senegal’s structure collapsed in phases, and a competitive performance turned into a damaging defeat.
The pattern repeated against Norway. Senegal’s back line, led by Kalidou Koulibaly, struggled with transitions and set-piece pressure. A 3-2 loss exposed repeated breakdowns in concentration rather than tactical imbalance alone. Koulibaly’s substitution late in the match underlined a difficult night for the captain and a wider defensive unit under strain.
Across the group stage and recent matches, Senegal have conceded three goals in three of their last four outings. Only one clean sheet in that stretch, a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia, has added to concerns about game management rather than attacking output.
Even so, the attacking core offers a path back into contention. Sadio Mane has influenced phases of play without producing a signature tournament performance. Ismaïla Sarr has shown direct threat, bouncing back after his missed chance against France with a more aggressive display versus Norway. Nicolas Jackson continues to grow into a supporting role, adding movement and an assist even in defeat.
The defensive situation remains uncertain. Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is out with a knee injury, removing a key voice and shot-stopper from the back line. Thiaw must decide whether to persist with Koulibaly at the center of defense or adjust with alternatives such as Mamadou Sarr or Abdoulaye Seck depending on balance and recovery.
For Senegal, the arithmetic is simple but unforgiving. They likely need not just three points but a multi-goal victory to climb the third-place ranking and stay in contention for a knockout berth. That reality shapes both selection and approach, pushing them toward urgency without defensive exposure.
Iraq arrive in an even tighter position, but with less external expectation. Their group stage has been defined by heavy defeats to Norway and France, conceding seven goals across those matches and struggling to sustain pressure for long spells.
Under coach Graham Arnold, Iraq have shown moments of structure and discipline, including a respectable draw against Spain in earlier international play. But at the tournament itself, those signs have not translated into consistency.
Their biggest concern now is fitness. Forward Aymen Hussein, their main attacking outlet and only scorer at the finals so far, is a major doubt after leaving the pitch early with injury. His absence would remove their focal point in transition and set pieces.
If Hussein cannot start, Iraq may turn to Mohanad Ali, whose experience offers presence in the box, or Ali Al-Hamadi to stretch Senegal’s back line and exploit space behind an aggressive setup.
Tactically, the match sets up as a contrast in urgency. Senegal must push, likely controlling possession and territory, while Iraq will look for counters and set pieces, especially given Senegal’s recent defensive volatility. The danger for Thiaw’s side is clear: overcommitment could open the same gaps that France and Norway already exploited.
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