Soccer, Swindling And Sex Trafficking: 10 Things To Know

1. 1. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association is holding the World Cup in Brazil, June 2014.
   2. Six men have been arrested for fixing Premier League soccer matches.
   3. Earlier this month, two British men were arrested for fixing Australian soccer matches.
   4. Retired English striker Alan Shearer is calling for “zero tolerance” for fixing of soccer matches.

1. Marcus Gayle, a former striker for Wimbledon, told BBC London regarding the fixing scandal: “I was disgusted that it is still around in the game.”
2. The Minas Gerais state Association of Prostitutes, in Brazil, is offering free English lessons to prostitutes in order to prepare for the World Cup.
3. In 2010, South Africa saw a spike in human trafficking surrounding the World Cup.
4. Human traffickers see the World Cup as a “once in a lifetime” chance to “cash in.”
5. Brazil has 16 locations around the country meant to combat human trafficking, but they focus mainly on public awareness, not on victim assistance.
6. To date, FIFA has not taken human trafficking into consideration when choosing a country to host the World Cup, nor does it have a formal plan to combat trafficking surrounding the World Cup.

If you get caught cheating, there is disgust and disdain in the soccer world. If you’re a human trafficker, soccer is big business, victimizing children…and the world soccer community looks the other way.