New York Times Investigation Finds Brazen Corruption At The World Cup

REUTERS/Kai PfaffenbachSpain's players celebrate after the final whistle at their 2010 World Cup final soccer match against Netherlands at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg July 11, 2010.

The New York Times has obtained a shocking report from FIFA, soccer's worldwide regulator, that suggests the World Cup may be incredibly vulnerable to match-fixing.

The Times published its findings on the non-public report and the results of the paper's own investigation on Saturday, a little less than two weeks before the massive soccer tournament is slated to begin in Brazil.

According to the Times article, FIFA found a notorious match-fixing syndicate had infiltrated the last World Cup in South Africa and fixed at least 5 matches. FIFA also found the syndicate was probably helped by South African officials, who were either "easily duped or extremely foolish."

However, when one official tried to put a stop to the match-fixing, the syndicate made a death threat against the official, according to the Times' account of the FIFA report.

Read the rest of The New York Times story here>