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Mark Wahlberg, Riz Ahmed Chase FIFA Scandal in Thriller 'The Big Fix'

Mark Wahlberg and Oscar winner Riz Ahmed are set to star in the international thriller 'The Big Fix,' directed by Baltasar Kormakur. The film, inspired by a true story, follows a former Interpol cop at FIFA who uncovers a global football match-fixing scheme run by a hustler allied with Chinese Triads. This project marks another collaboration between Wahlberg and director Kormakur, following their previous hits 'Contraband' and 'Two Guns.' The film is one of Netflix's major projects slated for the first half of 2026.

Key Points: Wahlberg, Ahmed Star in FIFA Thriller 'The Big Fix'

  • Inspired by true FIFA scandal
  • Baltasar Kormakur to direct
  • High-stakes international match-fixing plot
  • Reunites Wahlberg & Kormakur
  • Set for 2026 release
2 min read

Mark Wahlberg, Riz Ahmed to star in thriller 'The Big Fix'

Mark Wahlberg & Riz Ahmed star in 'The Big Fix,' a thriller about an Interpol cop uncovering a global football match-fixing scandal.

"A high-octane, globetrotting cat-and-mouse thriller ensues, pitting two men against each other - Deadline"

Washington DC, January 22

Actor Mark Wahlberg and Riz Ahmed are set to star in the thriller 'The Big Fix' with Baltasar Kormakur helming the project, reported Deadline.

Guy Bolton and Justin Haythe are penning the script, with Kormakur producing along with Peter Chernin and David Ready for Chernin.

Inspired by a true story, 'The Big Fix' follows a former Interpol cop in a bureaucratic role at FIFA who uncovers an international match-fixing scandal and launches a high-stakes mission to stop whoever is behind it. His target: a passionate hustler who joins forces with Chinese Triads to earn millions rigging football games across the world. As they start to circle one another, a high-octane, globetrotting cat-and-mouse thriller ensues, pitting two men against each other, according to Deadline.

One of Netflix's big swings for the first half of 2026 is the upcoming survival thriller 'Apex', which Kormakur directed with Theron and Taron Egerton starring.

According to Deadline, even before the shooting of the movie 'Apex' wrapped, the makers were thinking about another collaboration, finally landing on 'The Big Fix'.

Once Kormakur was on board, the next step was tapping the two leads at the centre of this story. Wahlberg and Kormakur go way back, with the A-lister starring in the director's first major studio film, 'Contraband', as well as the hit action movie 'Two Guns'.

As for Ahmed, the Oscar winner is coming off a strong year that included rave reviews for the thriller Relay.

Wahlberg was most recently seen in 'The Family Plan 2'. Ahmed can be seen next in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's next film, 'Digger'.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Riz Ahmed is such a fantastic actor! So glad to see him getting these big roles. The plot sounds very gripping – a cat-and-mouse game across the world. Can't wait to see this one. The director's previous work is also quite good.
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Aman W
Interesting that it's inspired by a true story. Match-fixing is a cancer in sports everywhere. I just hope the movie doesn't overly glamorize the hustler character. The focus should be on the cop trying to stop the crime.
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Sarah B
Baltasar Kormakur directing is a big plus. 'Contraband' was very entertaining. This sounds like a perfect Netflix watch for a weekend. The pairing of Wahlberg and Ahmed is unique – hope their chemistry works on screen!
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Vikram M
As a football fan, this topic hits close to home. The integrity of the game is everything. The mention of Chinese Triads is interesting – wish Indian cinema would also tackle such global crime thrillers with this scale. 🏆
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Karthik V
Sounds promising, but I have one respectful criticism. I hope the portrayal of the "international" elements doesn't rely on tired stereotypes. The true story angle gives them a responsibility to be authentic, not just sensational.

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