La Liga Chief Tebas Blasts Fifa and Demands Infantino’s Resignation
La Liga president Javier Tebas has launched a stinging attack on world football’s governing body, accusing Fifa of wrecking the sport’s industry and calling on Gianni Infantino to step down as its president.
Speaking to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport in the aftermath of the 2026 World Cup — and as reported by The Guardian — Tebas directed his criticism at Fifa’s direction of travel, particularly suggestions that the 2030 tournament could grow from 48 to 64 teams.
“Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense,” Tebas said. He argued that it is domestic competitions, not the World Cup alone, that sustain the football industry and the tens of thousands of jobs tied to it. Expanding the global showpiece at the expense of club and national league structures, he said, amounts to “irresponsible decisions.”
Tebas was equally blunt about Infantino’s leadership, suggesting his tenure is well past its natural end. Infantino is nevertheless expected to stand unopposed and secure a fourth term at Fifa’s congress in March 2027. Tebas attributed this to a culture of silence among those who privately oppose the president but decline to act.
“Those who are silent are perfectly aware of the damage football is suffering,” Tebas said, questioning whether silence or complicity is the greater problem.
One of the sharpest accusations concerned the one-match ban handed to USA striker Folarin Balogun, which Fifa’s disciplinary committee suspended — reportedly after a phone call from Donald Trump to Infantino — allowing the player to feature against Belgium in the last 16. Infantino maintained the committee acted independently in line with applicable regulations. Tebas was unconvinced, suggesting the matter was only buried because Belgium ultimately knocked the USA out. Had it gone the other way, he believes the controversy could have cost Infantino his position.
Tebas also took aim at the widely publicised hydration breaks used throughout the tournament, which Fifa cited as a welfare measure during extreme heat. He flatly rejected that explanation, pointing out that several host stadiums — including those in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Atlanta — had cooled pitches and air-conditioned stands. The breaks, he argued, were commercial rather than medical in purpose.
For those following the tournament’s broader context, our World Cup 2026 hub has full coverage, and you can check the live standings for all the latest results from the competition.