The Council of Europe, the top European human-rights body (46 nations), has questioned the integrity of the 2026 World Cup in an open letter to FIFA hours before the Argentina-Spain final. Secretary General Alain Berset cites the lifting of the ban on Folarin Balogun after Trump pressure, FIFA's partnership with predictive-betting platform ADI Predictstreet ($150m) as an "open door to fraud", and the risk that "rules bend under pressure".
Berset warns: "The next crisis has already begun. It has two names: money and power".
Sources
- [AP News — World Cup integrity questioned by European rights body urging FIFA to help protect 2030 tournament](https://apnews.com/article/fifa-council-europe-f92fa4a96b248a9062bc73987520391f)
