Ahead of Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain, the Council of Europe’s secretary general, Alain Berset, has criticized the integrity of the recently concluded 2026 World Cup and called for urgent dialogue to establish a stronger framework for the 2030 tournament.
— "The FIFA World Cup 2026 has raised question after question."
— "The celebration will end tonight. The questions will not."
— "There must be a working dialogue that starts tonight, to build the integrity framework of the 2030 World Cup before it is played."
Berset highlighted that the tournament was marred by political influence, including a phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump to FIFA president Gianni Infantino regarding the suspension of striker Folarin Balogun, as well as instances of racist abuse and the expansion of betting markets.
He specifically targeted FIFA's partnership with ADI Predictstreet, arguing that betting has moved beyond match results to individual moments, creating an "open door to fraud."