Brazil: Ceará authorities target soccer player in match-fixing case
The Public Ministry is investigating a suspected attempt to manipulate a regional championship game.
Key Points
- Operation “Campo Minado” targeted a player in Ceará’s 2024 Championship
- Reports flagged suspicious first-half betting focused on his team’s loss
- Teammates nearly walked off the field after the alleged intentional move
The Public Ministry of Ceará, through its Criminal Investigation Unit (NUINC), launched Operation “Campo Minado” to investigate alleged match-fixing in the 2024 Série C of the Cearense Championship.
The operation, supported by the national Civil Police, executed a search and seizure warrant against a player suspected of deliberately influencing the match outcome.
A mobile phone was seized as part of the action.
The investigation began after the Ceará Football Federation received technical reports from a sports integrity monitoring firm, which flagged suspicious betting activity.
According to the reports, gamblers focused heavily on first-half defeat predictions for the suspect’s team, a highly specific and abnormal pattern.
Footage and reports indicate that the player intentionally handed the ball to the opposing team during a 0–0 game situation, leading directly to a goal attempt.
Good to know: Another Brazilian player, Bruno Henrique, was recently charged in a separate betting fraud case
The agency continues its investigation to determine if more individuals were involved.
According to the Public Ministry, the name “Campo Minado,” or Minefield, reflects how ethical violations in sport can turn the playing field into a space of uncertainty and risk, undermining public trust and the integrity of competition.
The act was recorded by the referee in the official match report and sparked outrage among his teammates, who considered abandoning the game in protest.
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