Council of Europe attacks FIFA, accuses it of threatening the integrity of the World Cup

The secretary-general of the Council of Europe, Alain Berce, accused FIFA of creating an "open door for fraud" and allowing political influence to interfere with tournament decisions, raising doubts about the integrity of the World Cup, in an unprecedented criticism of the international football establishment.

Alain Percy called for a new framework to protect sport's integrity ahead of the 2030 World Cup, where Europe hosts the bulk of its competition, warning that FIFA faces a crisis in which considerations of money and political influence intertwine, according to the Guardian.

Percy recalled the controversy surrounding FIFA's move to suspend the sanction of USA striker Volarin Balogun, clearly referring to the statements made by Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarella about Kylian Mbappe, as well as what former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said about the French team.

Controversy over bets on match results

 The  Chairman of the Council stressed  that the 2026 FIFA World Cup has left behind endless question marks, as a penalty was suspended to comply with pressure within a few days, without clarifying the reasons, as well as undermining the prestige of stadium referees, and subjecting the elements of the game to racist violations, some of which were issued by officials in parliamentary positions, not to mention the bets that affected every pass, card and corner kick, stressing that the celebrations will be folded tonight, but doubts will remain.

Cross-reports said that this position represents  a very important step, especially since FIFA and the Council of Europe are linked to a memorandum of understanding signed in 2018, and its effects are still ongoing to this day, as this agreement was formulated to consolidate joint work in several files, foremost of which comes human rights, integrity, and good governance in the field of sports, which makes public criticism between the two parties a rare event.

Percy pointed his criticism at FIFA's partnership with ADI Predictstreet, under which it became the official ally of the World Cup prediction markets in April, stressing that bets have shifted from predicting the overall results of matches to speculating on individual shots made by a single player without changing the final score, as profit is based on the loss of others, which provides a fertile environment for fraud that the current World Cup has strengthened.

Infantino defends American Balogun

In a second reference to FIFA's decision to lift the ban on Volarin Balogun, which followed a phone conversation US President Donald Trump had with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Percy said the flexibility of the rules in the face of pressure makes every football harvest questionable.

Gianni Infantino defended the position, stating that the decision to overturn the sentence against Volarin Balogun was made by FIFA's disciplinary committee entirely independently, based on the regulations in force and the individual facts of the case.

Perse, a Swiss national, laid out a vision to launch a practical dialogue that begins tonight, with the aim of initiating immediate steps to protect the honour of the sporting system ahead of the next World Cup, citing the historic role of the Council of Europe, the continent's intergovernmental human rights organization, in drafting a binding agreement to secure fans three months after the 1985 Hessel Stadium tragedy, as well as other legislative frameworks designed to combat doping in athletics and control the manipulation of results.

European Parliament moves against FIFA

The open letter came a week and a half after 72 members of the European Parliament sent a letter to the EU's 27 member football associations, calling for an urgent investigation into Gianni Infantino's role in the Volarin Balogun case, warning of possible breaches of political neutrality and hinting that FIFA had violated the principles of its code of conduct.

On the other hand, there are no signs of UEFA, as the governing body of the game on the continent, intending to initiate formal proceedings on this file, noting that in June, 50 members of the European Parliament sent a letter to Gianni Infantino and the FIFA Council, demanding an investigation into the award of the FIFA Peace Prize to Donald Trump.