The Council of Europe has urged FIFA to urgently strengthen football's integrity, warning that the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the United States raised serious concerns.
Council Secretary General Alain Berset stated that the tournament—which concluded Sunday with the Argentina-Spain final—was marred by political pressure, racist abuse, and expanded betting markets that increase the risk of fraud.
"The celebration will end tonight. The questions will not," Berset said, calling for immediate dialogue to build a strict integrity framework before the 2030 World Cup. Berset highlighted the dangers of political interference on the pitch. He specifically cited US President Donald Trump’s direct appeal to FIFA President Gianni Infantino regarding the suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun.
"When the rules bend under pressure, every result is open to doubt," Berset warned. The Secretary General also strongly criticized FIFA's new partnership with a prediction market, ADI Predictstreet, which allowed intense micro-betting on individual player actions. Berset noted that betting has shifted from match outcomes to isolated moments, creating "an open door to fraud" that the 2026 World Cup has pushed wider.
The 46-member Council of Europe, an independent human rights organization separate from the European Union, has a long history of defending sports ethics, having previously established international conventions against doping and match-fixing.
"Let the final whistle... open the urgent work of strengthening the integrity of sport," Berset concluded.
