La Liga President Javier Tebas has launched a scathing attack on FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, accusing the governing body of damaging the football industry and calling for a change in leadership.
Speaking after the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Tebas criticised FIFA’s management of the game, including reports that the 2030 World Cup could be expanded to 64 teams.
He argued that domestic leagues and national competitions are the backbone of football, sustaining the sport and creating thousands of jobs, and warned that FIFA’s decisions risk undermining the entire football ecosystem.
“FIFA organises things as they please, for their own interests, not for football. So if they need a 27-minute break, they create one,” Tebas said.
He also dismissed the tournament’s hydration breaks as unnecessary.
“Hydration breaks are a farce. We have them in LaLiga, but only when it’s very hot. The stadiums in Dallas, Los Angeles and Atlanta had air conditioning. I had to put on a sweater in the stands. It was a farce, all for a commercial break,” he added.
Tebas further pointed to the controversy involving United States forward Folarin Balogun, whose red-card suspension was reportedly lifted by FIFA after political intervention ahead of the USA’s knockout match against Belgium, describing the incident as an example of poor governance.
“And then there was also the Balogun case,” he said. “They were lucky Belgium eliminated the USA, because otherwise they could’ve created a scandal that would’ve cost Infantino his job. Since Belgium won, they managed to bury the matter. But it’s the tip of the iceberg.”
Calling for Infantino to step aside, Tebas said the FIFA president continues to enjoy the backing of football’s establishment and national federations despite growing criticism.
“Infantino should go, his time has come. But he has the support of the establishment and the national federations. There’s no opposition candidate because nobody wants to run only to lose. It’s a flawed system from its very foundations. In the USA, I heard many people speak out against Infantino and disagree with what he’s doing,” he said.
