On the day of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, called for a new international dialogue on the integrity of football. His statement, published before Spain’s victory over Argentina, argues that the tournament raised governance issues that will not end with the final whistle, from betting-related risks to political influence and the credibility of disciplinary processes.
A World Cup final is usually the closing act of a tournament. For the Council of Europe, the 2026 final should instead mark the beginning of what Alain Berset calls a “third half”: a working dialogue aimed at building the integrity framework of the 2030 World Cup before it is played.
In a statement entitled “Before the final whistle”, the...
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