Fifa has faced serious accusations of enabling an “The Fifa World Cup 2026 has raised question after question,” with concerns raised about political influence undermining the integrity of the World Cup, according to a sharp critique from the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
In an open letter coinciding with the final match on Sunday, Alain Berset urged the establishment of a new integrity framework ahead of the 2030 tournament, primarily set to take place in Europe. He cautioned that Fifa is currently entangled in a crisis centered on money and power.
Berset highlighted the controversy surrounding Fifa’s decision to lift the suspension of USA striker Folarin Balogun, alluding to remarks made by Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla regarding Kylian Mbappé and former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy concerning the French team.
“A sanction suspended under pressure, within days, with no reasons given. The authority of referees called into question. Racist abuse of players, some of it from elected officials. Betting on every pass, every card, every corner. The celebration will end tonight. The questions will not.” Berset stated. “human rights, integrity and good governance in sport”
This intervention is particularly notable given the memorandum of understanding signed between Fifa and the Council of Europe in 2018, which remains active. This agreement aimed to strengthen collaboration on issues like human rights and governance in sport, making such open criticism between the two organizations exceedingly rare.
Berset criticized Fifa’s partnership with ADI Predictstreet, which became the official prediction market partner for the World Cup in April. He remarked, “Betting has moved from the result of a match to moments a single player can produce without changing the score,”
Referring back to the revocation of Balogun’s ban, which reportedly followed a call from US President Donald Trump to Fifa President Gianni Infantino, Berset noted, “A bet is won by making others lose. It is an open door to fraud. And this World Cup has opened the door wider.”
In response, Infantino asserted that the decision to lift Balogun’s ban was independently made by Fifa’s disciplinary committee “When the rules bend under pressure, every result is open to doubt.”
Berset, who hails from Switzerland, proposed initiating a “based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts” to urgently enhance the integrity of sport ahead of future World Cups. He referenced previous work by the Council of Europe, which established a binding treaty for fan safety following the Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985, as well as legislation aimed at combatting doping in athletics and match-fixing.
This letter follows an appeal made by 72 members of the European Parliament to the 27 EU football associations, requesting an investigation into Infantino’s role in the Balogun case. It cited potential breaches of political neutrality and suggested that Fifa may have violated its own ethical guidelines.
It appears unlikely that UEFA, the governing body of European football, will pursue the matter further. Earlier in June, 50 members of the European Parliament had written to Infantino and the Fifa council, seeking an inquiry into the awarding of the Fifa peace prize to Trump.
Fifa has been approached for comment regarding these issues.
Recently, reports indicated that over 200 of Fifa’s member associations have formally backed Infantino’s bid for re-election for a fourth term in March.
