Controversies involving corruption, doping, and match-fixing have all plagued football. The examination of Moldovan football in advance of upcoming matches is the most recent in a long line of controversies. An alleged attempt to bribe referees to fix matches in the country's domestic league has led FIFA to investigate the country's Football Association. Additionally, during Euro 2016 qualifiers, they have been accused of manipulating results.
Since qualifying for a World Cup would require them to finish in the top 70 places, Moldova is currently ranked 111th, which is far below their usual standards. Before 1994, when they reached 61st place after losing all three of their group matches against England (0-1), Argentina (0-1), and Nigeria (0-2). After a video of two Moldovan players allegedly accepting bribes to fix results during qualifying matches for the 2020 European Championship surfaced, the Football Association of Moldova (FAM) received criticism.
In the video, two players are seen accepting cash from an unidentified source in exchange for ensuring that their team loses to Bulgaria on November 14, 2020. An anonymous source who claimed they wanted to expose corruption in Moldovan football said they released the video because they had been approached with similar offers and turned them down out of principle. It would have been a major violation for the small nation since FIFA maintains strict regulations when it comes to football at both national and international levels.