La Liga’s president, Javier Tebas, has accused Fifa of “destroying the football industry” and called for its president, Gianni Infantino, to quit. Tebas spoke out as the dust settled on the 2026 World Cup amid suggestions the 2030 tournament could be increased from 48 to 64 teams.
- Increasing national teams makes no sense; it harms national competitions, destroys jobs, and weakens the football industry.
- Calls for Gianni Infantino to quit, arguing his time is up and the governing system protects him despite opposition.
- Says the Folarin Balogun case, after a Donald Trump call, exposed Fifa partiality and risked Gianni Infantino’s job.
- Accuses Fifa of arranging rules for its interests; hydration breaks were a commercial lie, not genuine player safety.
“Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense,” Tebas said in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. “The football industry is not just the World Cup, which is the most important event. But not everything can revolve around the World Cup. It is national competitions that support this sport.
“They are destroying the football industry, which generates tens of thousands of jobs, for an event that lasts 40 days and involves a minority of players. We need fewer national teams and more protection for national football, at all levels. They don’t realise, they are making irresponsible decisions.”
Asked whether Infantino should leave his position, Tebas said: “In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up. However, he has the support of the system, of the federations, so there’s not much more to add, is there?
“There’s no opposition candidate, nobody wants to stand just to lose. This is the system, and it’s a system rotten at its core. These past few days here in America I’ve heard many people who are against Infantino, who disagree with what he does. They say it, but then they do nothing.
“I don’t know if silence or complicity is worse, because those who are silent are perfectly aware of the damage that football is suffering.”
Infantino has been a controversial figure during his 10 years as Fifa president. The Swiss is poised to be re-elected for a fourth term in Fifa’s March 2027 congress, although Tebas believes Infantino might have been brought down by the Folarin Balogun affair if the USA had beaten Belgium in their World Cup last-16 tie.
The USA striker’s one-match ban was suspended by Fifa’s disciplinary committee, allowing him to play against Belgium, after a phone call to Infantino from Donald Trump. Infantino has said the decision to revoke Balogun’s ban was taken independently by the disciplinary committee “based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts”.
Tebas said: “The suspension of the American player’s ban was absolutely serious; they were lucky that Belgium eliminated the USA, because otherwise, a case could have arisen that might have cost Infantino his job. Since Belgium won, they managed to bury the matter. But these things are just the tip of the iceberg.
“Fifa arranges things as it wants, for what it wants, for its own interests, certainly not for football. So, if they need a 27-minute half-time break, they’ll have it. Hydration breaks are a lie.
“We have them in La Liga, but when it’s genuinely hot. Here, the pitches in Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta had air conditioning; I had to put on a jumper in the stands. It was a lie, a break for advertising.”
Fifa has been approached for comment.
