The Council of Europe, the intergovernmental body representing 46 nations and creator of the European Convention on Human Rights, published an open letter to FIFA hours before the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, questioning the integrity of the entire tournament.
President Alain Berset, a Swiss politician who twice served as president of the Swiss Confederation, launched an unprecedented attack on world football's governance, citing three serious issues that emerged during this edition of the World Cup.
The first concerns the Folarin Balogun case. The United States forward had received a mandatory one-game ban, which was suspended after U.S. President Donald Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Balogun was then able to play in the round of 16 against Belgium, which the US lost 4-1. "When the rules bend under pressure, every result is open to doubt," Berset wrote.
The second criticism targets the $150 million partnership between FIFA and ADI Predictstreet, a prediction market company based in Abu Dhabi that was formally created just one week before the deal was signed. "It is an open door to fraud," Berset warned, noting that prediction betting allows wagers on moments a single player can produce without changing the score.
The third point addresses political influence in football: "Political influence has also moved onto the field," Berset said, recalling that the suspension came after a head of state called the FIFA president.
UEFA had already fiercely criticized the Balogun decision, calling it "beyond a red line" for football's rule of law and transparency. FIFA has yet to publish documents explaining the reasoning of its disciplinary judge from the United Arab Emirates.
Berset concluded by proposing a "working dialogue that starts tonight, to build the integrity framework of the 2030 World Cup before it is played." The next men's World Cup will be staged mostly in Europe, with Morocco also co-hosting, while Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay are scheduled to host one game each to mark the centenary edition.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/fifa-council-europe-f92fa4a96b248a9062bc73987520391f
