Integrity – Ahead of the Game: Sports Horizon Scanning 2026

Integrity-related rules in sport are crucial to maintain a level playing field and public trust. Those rules might relate to athlete eligibility criteria for particular categories or competitions or may impose restrictions on participants in relation to (for example) conduct that improperly impacts competition results, or the use of prohibited drugs and other conduct that undermines clean sport.

Anti‑doping

Anti-doping efforts are becoming more data-driven and intelligence-led, with anti-doping organisations placing greater emphasis on building capacity, conducting effective investigations and efficient test planning. 

What’s happened in 2025? 

In December 2025, WADA approved the fourth edition of the World Anti-Doping Code (in addition to several International Standards) following a lengthy and detailed review process. Several high profile disciplinary cases have grappled with the core Code requirement to demonstrate proof of source and identify contamination in order obtain a reduced sanction, in particular in relation to contaminated meat and medications. 

Key developments and predictions for 2026

Looking ahead to 2026, anti-doping organisations will be focused on rule and policy drafting to give effect to the changes in the 2027 Code and International Standards, ready for enforcement from 1 January 2027. While the 2027 Code will not introduce wholesale change to the legal framework, the amendments provide (among other things) additional flexibility to appropriately sanction inadvertent anti-doping rule violations and to clarify the application of other Code provisions. 

Likewise, the iterative improvement of anti-doping systems and processes will continue, from WADA audits of anti-doping organisations to Code compliance proceedings and other measures to ensure harmonisation of anti-doping enforcement efforts.

Anti-doping organisations will continue to align data practices to regulatory and GDPR expectations, with further guidance likely to come from the Court of Justice of the European Union in the NADO Austria case following the Advocate General’s opinion in 2025.

On the enforcement side, increased reliance on investigations and intelligence-led testing is likely, as well as the use of demand powers to uncover concealed doping. The Athlete Biological Passport will likely develop and its use will expand across sports and at national level, both as evidence of doping itself and to inform target testing.

What’s the impact on sports organisations? 

Anti-doping organisations should take careful steps to prepare for the 2027 Code, at policy level, in revising anti-doping rules, and by preparing revised template results management documents. Continued work on privacy notices and the monitoring of data practices will be importance, on top of athlete education and the usual stream of sample collections and results management processes.

Anti‑corruption

The regulation and enforcement of anti-corruption issues in sport are increasingly global, multi-stakeholder, and multi-disciplinary matters. Collaboration between sports organisations, law enforcement, and specialists in the monitoring of betting markets and investigations remains very important. 

What’s happened in 2025? 

In the past year, several programmes and partnerships have launched. FIFA and UNODC launched the second edition of the Global Integrity Programme (2025–2027), and the International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport (IPACS) continued its work on procurement integrity, event selection transparency, and governance standards, including template tool production.

Key developments and predictions for 2026

In 2026, the structural trend towards integrity units dealing with multiple integrity concerns is likely to continue. Existing national and international organisations have the pre-existing frameworks, relationships, and operational capabilities to address anti-corruption as well as anti-doping and other matters. Major event operational taskforces and coalitions may also become more common, as utilised successfully at Paris 2024.

Operationally, anti-corruption regulators will develop deeper data‑sharing frameworks and MoUs with betting operators and integrity monitoring service providers, including at lower‑tier competitions to improve detection where athletes are most vulnerable.

Investigative capacity is likely to improve, given the increasing availability of professional digital forensics, financial tracing tools, and AI-powered software to identify trends. Whistleblowing systems and the use of demand powers are likely to generate further intelligence and evidence for disciplinary cases.

What’s the impact on sports organisations? 

Regulators and integrity units should continue to build cross-border and multi-disciplinary networks, cement those relationships with information and knowledge sharing, and utilise those networks to learn lessons and work towards operational best practice.

Athlete eligibility 

The criteria for eligibility in women’s sport has been a hotly debated issue for a decade now. International federations are converging towards eligibility rules based on biological sex, rather than gender identity and hormone suppressant treatments. National federations, especially those in the USA and the UK, are following that direction too.

What’s happened in 2025? 

In the last twelve months, several international federations have introduced eligibility criteria based on biological sex (XX and XY chromosomes) and begun enforcing the eligibility rules for the women’s category by testing athlete cheek swabs for the presence or absence of the SRY gene (which induces male sex determination and development). In addition, the leading candidates for the IOC Presidency all promised to ensure the protection of women’s sport, and Kirsty Coventry, the new IOC President, set up the ‘Protection of the Female Category working group’, which included scientific experts and international federation representatives, to examine how to approach the issue.

Key developments and predictions for 2026 

In 2026 national and international federations will continue to grapple with the overarching policy decision regarding the eligibility of transgender athletes to compete in women’s sport, seeking to balance inclusion against safety and fairness at the elite and grass-roots levels. Each sport and jurisdiction specific approach will be recorded in policies, rules and regulations.

In part the policy decision may be influenced by political climates and national and international legal decisions. The approach of the US Presidency will have international implications because the USA will host several major events in the coming years. In addition, the UK sports sector is continuing to manage the consequences of the UK Supreme Court decision on sex discrimination. In January 2026, the US Supreme Court will hear two high-profile cases of transgender athlete eligibility in sport, with a decision expected in the late spring or early summer.

Further cases may be heard and determined by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, including the claim brought by Algerian boxer Imane Khelif against World Boxing after it mandated pre-competition genetic testing to demonstrate eligibility for the female category. Such cases will likely scrutinise the scientific bases for the regulations, and procedural fairness in individual cases.

What’s the impact on sports organisations? 

As international federations move towards SRY testing as a screening mechanism for eligibility, issues may arise in relation to pre-clearance testing availability and logistics, as well as data protection issues, and the application of national legislation on genetic testing.

National and international federations and event organisers should periodically review their policies and regulations in light of scientific and legal developments. If policy positions change, the regulator should document the new policy in clear regulations, develop fair processes and frameworks to enforce the rules, and follow those processes in practice.

To read the full report for Ahead of the Game: Sports Horizon Scanning 2026, click here.