The Council of Europe's secretary general, Alain Berset, has launched an unusually sharp public attack on Fifa, accusing it of leaving an "open door to fraud" through its expanded betting partnerships and of letting political pressure undermine the World Cup's integrity. In an open letter published to coincide with Sunday's final, Berset called for a new integrity framework to be established before the 2030 tournament, which is mostly being held in Europe, warning that Fifa is caught in a crisis of money and power. The intervention is notable because Fifa and the Council of Europe are formal partners under a 2018 agreement covering good governance and integrity, making such open criticism rare.

Berset singled out Fifa's deal with prediction market firm ADI Predictstreet, saying betting had shifted from match results to individual player moments, creating fresh fraud risks. He also referenced the row over Fifa's decision to lift a suspension on USA striker Folarin Balogun days after a phone call between Donald Trump and Fifa president Gianni Infantino, saying "when the rules bend under pressure, every result is open to doubt." Infantino maintains the decision was made independently by Fifa's disciplinary committee. Berset's letter follows a complaint from 72 members of the European parliament and cites past Council of Europe work on stadium safety and match-fixing as a model for reform.