Council of Europe chief raises World Cup betting fraud concern
Whilst the 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup has achieved record-high numbers when it comes to viewership and betting volume, Alain Berset, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, believes that the tournament has “raised question after question” when it comes to integrity.
An ‘open door’ for fraud
In a letter published just ahead of the 2026 World Cup final, which ultimately ended with Spain defeating 2022 champions Argentina and becoming world champions for the second time in the country’s history, having done it for the first time in 2010, Berset remarked that this particular edition felt “unfinished”.
He referred to a number of events which transpired throughout the World Cup, including the unprecedented suspension of a red card for American striker Folarin Balogun, and said that while the World Cup would be celebrated through the final, the questions would persist beyond.
“A sanction suspended under pressure, within days, with no reason given. The authority of referees called into question,” he began. “Racist abuse of players, some of it from elected officials,” with examples of such behaviour including comments made by a Paraguayan senator towards French captain and star player Kylian Mbappe.
“Betting on every pass, every card, every corner… The next crisis has already begun. It has two names, money and power.”
Following the World Cup final, FIFA made a statement in which it said that its integrity operation had found no suspicious betting activity or signs of match manipulation during the tournament.
Referring to in-play betting, Berset said that betting has moved from the result of a match to moments a single player can produce without changing the score. “A bet won by making others lose,” he commented. “It is an open door to fraud, and this World Cup has opened the door wider.”
Berset spoke of how FIFA officially entered into an agreement with ADI Predictstreet, having been named as FIFA’s official prediction market partner for the 2026 World Cup.
Political influence in sport
“Political influence has also moved onto the field. The sanction suspended mid-tournament came after a head of state called the president of FIFA. When the rules bend under pressure, every result is open to doubt,” he said, again referring to the Balogun situation, where US President Donald Trump admitted that he had spoken with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and requested that Balogun’s red card be reviewed.
With all that in mind, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe said that he would like for a working dialogue to begin from now in order to “build the integrity framework of the 2030 World Cup before it is played”.
Berset referred to a number of previous instances where the Council of Europe and its member states reached agreements related to sporting events, such as safety standards and anti-doping agreements.
Additionally, he also referred to the adoption of the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, an agreement reached in response to match-fixing concerns in European football leagues, with the agreement having been signed by 43 states and still serving as a binding treaty against the rigging of matches.
“Each time, the Council of Europe answered with law. It brings binding conventions, forty-six member states, and four decades of turning sport’s crises into sport’s rules,” Berset stated, as he concluded that the “third half” should be opened following the 2026 World Cup so that “the urgent work of strengthening the integrity of sport” can commence.
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