Brazil signs Macolin Convention on match-fixing, first country in the Americas to do so

Brazil has signed the Macolin Convention, the main international treaty against the manipulation of sports competitions, becoming the first country in the Americas to do so. The signing took place on Friday at the Council of Europe's headquarters in France.

Brazil's ambassador to France, Ricardo Neiva Tavares, signed on behalf of the government. The process was overseen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the Ministries of Sport, Finance and Justice taking part.

The Convention sets up cooperation channels between governments, public authorities, sports organisations, competition organisers and betting operators. Its measures include information sharing between countries, cooperation among competent authorities and monitoring of suspicious movements linked to sports betting. It also calls for each state to create a national platform that centralises information and helps the various sectors communicate, so that possible irregularities can be identified.

Giovanni Rocco, Brazil's National Secretary of Sports Betting, said the country was taking an important step in protecting sporting integrity. He pointed to the National Policy for the Prevention and Combat of Match-Fixing in Sports and said the signature widens the scope for international cooperation, helping protect athletes, clubs and fans.

The Ministry of Sport has followed the accession talks since 2025, when the National Secretariat for Sports Betting issued a technical statement in favour of joining. The government announced its intention to join in September of that year after a joint assessment by the ministries concerned. In March 2026 it established the National Policy for the Prevention and Confrontation of Manipulation of Sports Results, coordinated by the Ministry of Sport and developed with the Ministries of Finance and Justice and the Federal Police. The policy sets guidelines for regulation, prevention, monitoring, inspection and repression of sports fraud.

The Convention was opened for signature in Macolin, Switzerland, in 2014 and has been in force since September 2019. By September 2026 it had 43 signatories, 17 of which had ratified it. Australia and Morocco are among the non-European signatories.

Brazil is not yet a State Party. The text must be sent to the National Congress for analysis and approval, after which the country must complete ratification under its procedures for incorporating international treaties.