Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset has called on FIFA to start building a new integrity framework for the 2030 World Cup. He directly tied player-action betting and FIFA's own prediction-market sponsorship to a higher risk of match manipulation. The warning raises questions about whether the safeguards FIFA has promised will be enough.
What Berset is calling for
In a public statement, Berset urged FIFA to begin work on the framework now, not later. He argued that the combination of betting on specific player actions — like yellow cards or corner kicks — and the governing body's official sponsorship of prediction markets creates a dangerous environment. Match fixers, he said, could exploit those markets. The Council of Europe has long pushed for stronger anti-corruption measures in sports, but this is the first time its secretary general has directly pressed FIFA on a specific tournament.
Why current safeguards may not be enough
FIFA has already rolled out some integrity programs, including a monitoring system and a code of conduct for officials. But Berset's intervention suggests those measures are not sufficient for a World Cup as sprawling as the 2030 edition. The tournament will be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, with centenary matches in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. That geographic spread creates more betting markets and more opportunities for manipulation. The article notes that FIFA's promised safeguards may not be sufficient, though it does not specify which ones are lacking.
The 2030 World Cup stakes
This is the first World Cup to span three continents and six countries. It's also the first to be played across two hemispheres. The logistical complexity alone makes oversight harder. Add in the rise of micro-betting — wagers on individual plays within a match — and the problem multiplies. Player-action betting is already a favorite target for fixers because it's easier to manipulate than the final score. A single player can be paid to commit a foul or make a deliberate error. The fact that FIFA itself partners with a prediction-market firm, Sorare, only sharpens the conflict of interest, according to Berset.
FIFA has not yet responded publicly to the secretary general's call. The question now is whether the governing body will take up the work before the 2030 tournament kicks off — or wait until after the first scandal breaks.
