Council of Europe chief criticises Fifa over betting and World Cup integrity

The Council of Europe’s secretary general, Alain Berset, has accused Fifa of leaving football exposed to fraud through betting-related arrangements and called for stronger integrity safeguards around the World Cup.

In an open letter published to coincide with Sunday’s World Cup final, Berset criticised Fifa’s deal with a prediction-market company and said the governing body was facing a crisis involving money and power.

He also warned that political influence was casting doubt on the integrity of the tournament, adding to scrutiny of how Fifa manages commercial partnerships linked to betting products.

Why the intervention matters

The Council of Europe is not football’s governing body, but the criticism from its most senior official gives institutional weight to concerns about gambling-related links to major tournaments.

Berset’s call for a new integrity framework before the 2030 World Cup is significant because the tournament is mainly being staged in Europe, where governments and sports bodies have been debating tighter rules on betting sponsorship and advertising.

• Alain Berset, the Council of Europe secretary general, published an open letter on the day of the World Cup final.
• He accused Fifa of creating an opening for fraud through betting-related arrangements.
• A Fifa deal with a prediction-market company is already under criticism.
• Berset wants a new integrity framework in place before the 2030 World Cup.
• He warned that political influence was raising doubts about the tournament’s integrity.

The letter shifts attention to how Fifa governs commercial betting partnerships and whether European institutions will press for firmer safeguards ahead of 2030. With the next World Cup mainly in Europe, the debate over money, politics and tournament integrity is unlikely to end with the final.