Betting-related threats should move to the top of football’s agenda once the 2026 FIFA World Cup ends, according to the Council of Europe. On the day of the tournament final, Secretary General Alain Berset called on FIFA to begin work immediately on a stronger international framework to protect the game’s integrity before the 2030 World Cup. He argued that fast-growing prediction markets and micro-betting are creating fresh opportunities for manipulation by allowing wagers on individual moments rather than only final results.
Berset said the commercialization of sports betting has reshaped integrity risks across football. The Council of Europe said betting markets now extend to highly specific in-game events, making fraud harder to detect and easier to organize. It also noted that FIFA accepted a prediction market as an official tournament partner with a presence inside stadiums, a move Berset suggested reflects how closely betting has become tied to major competitions.
“The next challenge is not crowd violence. It is money and power,” Berset said, arguing that football needs to address emerging threats before they become entrenched.
World Cup betting surge sharpens integrity debate
Berset wants a post-final dialogue, described as a “third half,” that would bring governing bodies together to create new integrity protections before the next World Cup. He pointed to previous Council of Europe initiatives, including agreements developed after the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster, the Anti-Doping Convention and the Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, saying binding international rules have successfully addressed earlier crises in sport.
He also pointed out other issues that surfaced during the tournament, including a disciplinary sanction suspended after political pressure, questions surrounding refereeing authority and racist abuse directed at players. Together, he said, those incidents exposed broader weaknesses in football governance.
Recent research suggests betting activity around the tournament could reach unprecedented levels. A Paysafe study of 3,850 adults across 12 countries found that 60% plan to place World Cup bets online or through mobile apps, while 19% expect to gamble on the tournament for the first time. Among those intending to bet, 64% said they would wager on match day or during games, and 37% expect to bet more than usual, rising to 51% in the United States.
Regulators are already responding. France’s gambling authority, the ANJ, has urged licensed operators to restrain World Cup advertising after promotional budgets increased by more than 25% compared with the previous year. The regulator also warned against filling additional commercial time created by planned hydration breaks with betting promotions, citing concerns about excessive exposure and gambling-related harm.
Concluding the statement, Berset said, “Tonight, the final whistle will end the tournament. Let it also open the third half and the urgent work of strengthening the integrity of sport.”
Featured image: Canva / Council of Europe via press release
