The second part of the interview with SIGA Global CEO and CEO of SIGA LATIN AMERICA, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, conducted by journalist Elisa Marcante for SBC Notícias Brasil, has just been released. This segment focuses on SIGA’s partnerships with the Brazilian government, including agreements with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Sport, and the Office of the Comptroller General (CGU), as well as the strategic and independent study currently underway on Brazilian football. Originally published in Portuguese, SIGA has translated the full article into English to ensure wider access to these important insights.
Read the original interview in Portuguese on SBC Notícias Brasil
Read the full English translation below.
SIGA in Brazil: Government Partnerships and Strategic Study on Football
By Elisa Marcante
The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) is an independent, global, non-profit organization committed to promoting integrity in sport. To implement its standards across Latin America, SIGA operates a regional branch – SIGA LATIN AMERICA.
SBC Notícias Brasil spoke with Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, SIGA’s co-founder and Global CEO, and President and CEO of SIGA LATIN AMERICA, about the organization’s work in the region – including its guidelines for responsible sponsorship, institutional partnerships with the Brazilian government, and an ongoing strategic study on Brazilian football.
The first part of the interview is available [here].
In this second part, the conversation focused on SIGA’s partnerships with the Brazilian government and the significance of the strategic study currently underway on Brazilian football – particularly its potential impact on the online betting market.
This year, SIGA LATIN AMERICA signed a technical cooperation agreement with the Office of the Comptroller General (CGU), further strengthening its presence in Brazil.
According to Medeiros, the partnership is more than a symbolic gesture – it represents a concrete commitment to implementing structural reforms. The agreement focuses on the prevention and fight against corruption, money laundering, and other crimes that undermine ethics and integrity in sport.
SIGA’s activities in Brazil also include partnerships with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Sport. Medeiros noted that these agreements must remain responsive and evolve alongside changing realities.
SIGA’s approach is one of ongoing collaboration with Brazilian authorities, always aiming to enhance governance, transparency, and credibility in the sports sector.
The relationship between SIGA LATIN AMERICA and the Ministry of Finance – as well as other Brazilian institutions – has been under development for about three years, built on technical dialogue and institutional cooperation.
Medeiros emphasized that the Brazilian government has been receptive to SIGA’s vision and integrity standards, which have been shaped by international experience.
“This is a collective effort which, in Brazil, is already leaving a positive mark. I believe it has the potential to succeed more than in other countries – even some closer to us, like the United States, where the legislative reform process was disorganized and failed to properly address sport integrity,” said Medeiros.
This cooperation is reflected in regular communication and mutual participation in permanent committees: “In our case, we have government representatives sitting on SIGA LATIN AMERICA’s permanent committees, which is excellent for strengthening cooperation and giving it a more concrete and practical dimension.”
Medeiros also highlighted SIGA’s direct role in the licensing process for betting operators in Brazil, in accordance with national legislation – which requires companies to be affiliated with an integrity organization. As such, SIGA functions as a first line of defense, verifying the suitability of operators and their policies to prevent corruption, money laundering, illegal betting, and gambling addiction. As Medeiros put it, “without integrity, there’s no business – and without business, there’s no revenue.”
SIGA’s permanent committees are working groups with specific roles and responsibilities, composed of representatives from various sectors of the sports ecosystem. These groups bring together experts and stakeholders who actively contribute to SIGA’s decision-making processes.
According to Medeiros, these committees embody the organization’s commitment to open, inclusive, and transparent governance – enriched by a diversity of voices and experiences.
Brazilian Football: SIGA’s Independent Study
SIGA LATIN AMERICA is currently conducting an independent strategic study on Brazilian football. The project, still in progress, aims to deeply analyze the sport’s main challenges and threats in Brazil and propose structural solutions that go beyond surface-level fixes.
The research covers key areas such as governance, financial integrity, sports betting, player development, women’s football, stadium security, and fan management.
According to Medeiros, the study takes a holistic approach, seeking to identify international best practices and adapt them to the Brazilian context. The goal is to promote lasting reforms that ensure the sport’s sustainability and modernization – not just for the immediate future, but for the years ahead.
“As I often say, Brazilian football has much to be proud of – people talk a lot about the five-time World Cup wins, but our focus is on the future. We respect the past, we’re proud of it, and we learn from it – but what truly drives us is tomorrow,” said Medeiros.
Beyond its contribution to sports development, the study also directly impacts Brazil’s online betting market, which is still adjusting to new regulatory frameworks. Strengthening integrity and governance in football is essential to boost the credibility of this rapidly growing market – one that attracts significant investment and requires a transparent, trustworthy environment to thrive.
SIGA is betting on the collective efforts of clubs, federations, leaders, the government, and commercial partners to build a shared vision for the future. The ultimate goal is to bring Brazilian football back to a position of global prominence – aligned with ethical and transparent principles – and to make it a model of credibility and good reputation in the international sports arena.
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ABOUT SIGA
SIGA is the world’s leading organisation for Sport Integrity. We are creating a whole new landscape for the sports industry by delivering independent global rating and certification for world Sport to ensure it is governed and operates under the highest integrity standards: The SIGA Universal Standards.
Funded by our Members, SIGA is a non for profit global independent organisation with one aim: To ensure the sport industry is governed under the highest integrity standards so that the values of sport are protected.
SIGA is the only organisation to bring together sport, governments, academia, international organisations, sponsors, business, rights holders, NGOs and professional services companies, from every region in the world, around a common cause of fostering greater integrity throughout sport.
SIGA is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, as a non for-profit association, and comprises of the following continental subsidiaries: SIGA AMERICA, SIGA EUROPE and SIGA LATIN AMERICA.
For more information on SIGA, including its vision, mission and reform agenda, please refer to the website: www.siga-sport.com and FAQs.
To contact SIGA, please email: comms@siga-sport.com.
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