La Liga president Javier Tebas has called on Gianni Infantino to resign as Fifa president, accusing the world governing body of "destroying the football industry" through an aggressive expansion of international competitions.
In an interview with Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tebas launched a blistering attack on Infantino's leadership, saying: "In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up."
The Spanish league chief — who was in the United States to witness Spain win the 2026 World Cup final against Argentina — claimed the Fifa president enjoys the backing of a system that is "rotten at its core."
"There's no opposition candidate, nobody wants to stand just to lose," Tebas told Gazzetta. "This is the system and it's rotten at its core. He shouldn't stay, but he won't leave."
Tebas's outburst was prompted by several flashpoints during the recently concluded World Cup, including South American governing body Conmebol's official proposal to expand the 2030 men's tournament from 48 teams to 64 — a plan Tebas dismissed as nonsensical.
"Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense. The football industry isn't just the World Cup, which is the most important event. But not everything can revolve around the World Cup," he said.
The La Liga president also took aim at Fifa's introduction of mandatory three-minute hydration breaks during matches irrespective of actual temperature, branding them a "lie" designed to sell advertising slots.
"Here, the pitches in Dallas, Los Angeles and Atlanta had air conditioning. I had to put on a jumper in the stands. It was a lie — and just a break for advertising," Tebas said.
He further criticised the unprecedented 27-minute half-time interval during Sunday's final — nearly double the standard 15-minute break — which featured performances by Madonna, BTS, Shakira and Justin Bieber.
Tebas also highlighted the controversy surrounding United States striker Folarin Balogun, who escaped a suspension for the last-16 tie with Belgium after an intervention by US President Donald Trump. European football's governing body Uefa described Fifa's decision as "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable."
"These things are just the tip of the iceberg," Tebas warned.
Infantino, who announced in April he would seek re-election for a fourth term, is expected to be confirmed at Fifa's congress in Morocco on 18 March 2027. No challenger has emerged so far.
Separately, Football Supporters Europe (FSE) issued a statement accusing Fifa of being "unfit to govern global football," citing "historically high ticket prices," a lack of transparency, and the prioritisation of commercial interests over the fan experience throughout the 2026 World Cup.
Fifa has been contacted for comment by multiple outlets but has yet to respond publicly to Tebas's remarks.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/infantino-fifa-tebas-spain-world-cup-cf84afc1fe3507414ff87527bdf7c4f4
- https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cqjxzy44l0vo
