The Council of Europe has questioned the integrity of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, urging FIFA to strengthen its governance and transparency ahead of the 2030 tournament, which will be hosted primarily by Spain and Portugal.
In an open letter published before the World Cup final, Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset warned that the tournament had exposed growing concerns over the influence of money and political power in football.
“The next crisis has already begun. It has two names: money and power.”
Berset cited FIFA’s controversial decision to suspend a one-match ban for United States forward Folarin Balogun, claiming the move came after political pressure and risked undermining confidence in the competition.
“When the rules bend under pressure, every result is open to doubt.”
He also criticised FIFA’s sponsorship agreement with prediction market company ADI Predictstreet, arguing that betting on individual in-game events could increase the risk of match manipulation.
“It is an open door to fraud. And this World Cup has opened the door wider.”
The Council of Europe, which has maintained a formal cooperation agreement with FIFA since 2018, called on world football’s governing body to reinforce its commitment to transparency, accountability, integrity and human rights ahead of the 2030 World Cup.
