La Liga president Javier Tebas has renewed his criticism of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, urging him to step down over what he described as the growing damage caused by the expansion of international football competitions.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tebas argued that FIFA’s recent decisions, including plans to increase the size of future World Cups, are putting domestic football under increasing pressure. His comments come as debate continues over fixture congestion and the long-term impact of an expanding international calendar.

Tebas questions FIFA’s direction under Infantino

Tebas took aim at FIFA’s strategy of expanding major tournaments, including the proposal to increase the 2030 FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 teams.

“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,” Tebas said.

He then went further by suggesting that Infantino should no longer remain in charge of world football. “In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up,” Tebas added. “However, he has the support of the system and 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 rotten at its core.”

“He shouldn’t stay,” says La Liga President

The La Liga chief claimed there is widespread criticism of Infantino but insisted very few people are willing to challenge him publicly. “He shouldn’t stay, but he won’t leave. I’ve heard many people who are against Infantino. They say it, but then they do nothing. I don’t know what’s worse, the silence or the complicity, because those who stay silent are perfectly aware of the damage football is suffering,” Tebas noted. 

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The debate around the 2030 World Cup has intensified after South American football’s governing body CONMEBOL formally proposed expanding the tournament to 64 teams. The competition is already scheduled to be played across six host nations on three continents.

According to Tebas, domestic competitions remain the backbone of the sport. “It’s national competition that sustains 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.”

FIFA criticised over World Cup matchday changes

Tebas also questioned several operational decisions made during the recently concluded FIFA World Cup, including hydration breaks and the longer halftime interval used during the final between Spain and Argentina.

The tournament introduced scheduled hydration breaks to help players cope with summer conditions in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The World Cup final also featured a 27-minute halftime break instead of the usual 15 minutes.

Tebas argued those decisions were not made in the best interests of football. “FIFA arranges things as it pleases, for what it wants, for its own interests, certainly not for football. Hydration breaks are a lie. We have them in La Liga, but only when it’s genuinely hot. Here, the pitches in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Atlanta had air conditioning. It was a lie and just a break for advertising.”

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Football Supporters Europe (FSE) calls for FIFA reform

The criticism of FIFA was echoed by Football Supporters Europe (FSE), which published a statement calling for governance changes within world football. The supporters’ organisation demanded “structural governance reforms to hand decision-making power back to the FIFA Council and Congress and ensure full consultation with clubs, leagues, players and supporters.”

FSE also said the 2026 FIFA World Cup had failed to meet supporters’ expectations. “The 2026 World Cup should have been a celebration of the game and the supporters who give it life. Instead, it has too often become a case study in what is so deeply wrong with football today.”

The statement continued: “From the outset, supporters were asked to place their trust in FIFA and ‘chill’, but it prioritised spectacle and commercialisation over the match-going experience with key elements of football’s identity being messed with. Over the last month, we’ve seen football contorted to the whim of Gianni Infantino and the Trump administration.”

FSE also criticised “historically high ticket prices”, “skyrocketing transportation costs, bending of rules and procedures, exclusion of swathes of the global population and a lack of transparent communication.”

The group concluded with a sharp assessment of FIFA’s leadership. “All this created an environment of confusion and distrust that has severely damaged the reputation of FIFA, the World Cup, and the integrity of football itself.”

The group added that, “The lessons from this World Cup are clear: FIFA is unfit to govern global football. The future of the game cannot rest in the hands of a man who has proven yet again that he puts financial and political interests ahead of the future of our game.”

FAQs

Why did Javier Tebas ask Gianni Infantino to resign?

Tebas said FIFA’s expansion of international competitions and governance decisions are harming domestic football and increasing fixture congestion.

What is the proposal for the 2030 FIFA World Cup?

CONMEBOL has officially proposed expanding the 2030 FIFA World Cup from 48 teams to 64 teams.