The EU police unit, Europol, says an unprecedented match-fixing investigation has uncovered more than 380 suspicious football matches played not only in Europe but around the world in the recent years.

Europol's chief Rob Wainwright has called it a “sad day for European football” as the probe found "match-fixing activity on a scale we have not seen before."

Among the suspicious games are Word Cup and European Championship qualifiers as well as two Champions League games with one of them played in England.

Europol has uncovered $10.9 million in betting profits and $2.7 million in bribes to players and officials and has already led to several prosecutions.

Wainwright says the fact that organized crime is operating in the sport "highlights a big problem for the integrity of football in Europe."

The results of the investigation will be handed to the European football boss Michel Platini shortly with no other details unveiled until formal charges against those involved are filed.

This was the first cross-border investigation into match-fixing in European football.

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