La Liga president Javier Tebas criticised FIFA chief Gianni Infantino, accusing him of “destroying football” after the 2026 World Cup. Tebas opposed FIFA’s expansion plans, called the system “sick at the source” and urged Infantino to quit.
La Liga president Javier Tebas has lambasted FIFA chief Gianni Infantino for ‘destroying the football industry’ and called for his resignation, following the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup 2026, where Spain successfully clinched their second trophy.
The recently concluded edition of the FIFA World Cup witnessed a series of controversies regarding the expansion of the tournament to a 48-team competition, weather and commercial breaks, which were called ‘Hydration Break’, alongside governance flashpoints such as the Folarin Balogun red-card reversal and intense scrutiny over ticket pricing and tournament logistics.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was under immense scrutiny throughout the World Cup, given his handling of political lobbying controversies, especially US President Donald Trump’s direct intervention in suspending US striker Folarin Balogun’s red-card ban, alongside a proposal to expand the 2030 tournament to 64 teams.
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‘The Football Industry Is Not Just World Cup’
As Spain will be co-hosting the FIFA World Cup 2020 alongside Portugal and Morocco, La Liga President Javier Tebas has continued his vocal opposition against FIFA’s administrative direction, stating that the increase in the number of teams to 64 from the existing 48 would completely fracture domestic league calendars and sacrifice the foundation of the sport for short-term commercial gain.
“Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense. he football industry is not just the World Cup, which is the most important event.” Tebas told the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport as quoted by ESPN.
“But not everything can revolve around the World Cup. It is national competitions that support this sport.
“They are destroying the football industry, the one that generates tens of thousands of jobs, for an event that lasts 40 days and to which only a minority of players go. We need fewer national teams and more protection for national football, at all levels. They don’t realise; they decide irresponsibly,” he added.
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Though Spain finished their campaign as the World Cup winners, La Liga president Javier Tebas argued that the broader ecosystem of global football remains under grave threat from FIFA’s administrative decisions.
The recently concluded FIFA World Cup was more of a political spectacle and a commercial vehicle than a sustainable sporting triumph, according to fierce criticism from football administrators who warned that FIFA’s governance is driving the sport toward crisis.
Javier Tebas Calls For Gianni Infantino’s Resignation
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is expected to be elected to the role for the fourth consecutive term during the upcoming FIFA Congress in March next year, having reportedly secured formal endorsements from over 200 member associations despite mounting resistance from European critics and domestic league chiefs.
However, La Liga chief Javier Tebas believes that Infantino should not continue as FIFA president, adding that his ‘time has ended’ and that the governing body’s current system is ‘sick at the source.’
“In my opinion, yes [he should resign], I think [he] has had his day. But he has the support of the system, of the federations, there is not much more to add, right?,” the La Liga chief said.
“There is no opposition candidate, no one wants to present themselves to lose. This is the system, and it is a system that is sick at the source.
“In these days here in America, I have heard many people against Infantino, who do not agree with what he does. They say it, but then they do nothing,” he added.
The criticism around Gianni Infantino-led FIFA administration has been growing since he took office in 2016, but it has reached a boiling point following the recent governance scandals at the 2026 World Cup, especially unprecedented political intervention in Folarin Balogun’s suspension and the continuous push to expand international tournaments at the expense of domestic leagues.
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