Spanish football chief Javier Tebas, who heads La Liga, has openly demanded that Gianni Infantino quit as president of FIFA, accusing the Swiss‑born leader of jeopardising the very sport he claims to protect.
A seasoned administrator’s warning
Speaking from the United States, where he was watching his nation’s hopes for the 2026 World Cup, Tebas denounced a string of FIFA decisions that he says prioritise spectacle over the health of the game. He pointed to the three‑minute hydration pauses introduced for the tournament, the 27‑minute, 22‑second halftime extravaganza in the final, and the delayed sanction against United States forward Folarin Balogun as examples of self‑serving policies.
The La Liga president also referenced the intervention of former US president Donald Trump, who reportedly pressured world football’s governing body to postpone Balogun’s suspension, and he suggested that such political meddling only deepens the perception that FIFA’s electoral machinery is “rotten at its core.”
The broader debate over World Cup focus
While acknowledging that Infantino still enjoys backing from many national federations, Tebas argued that the Swiss official’s time in office is drawing to a close and that the current election system makes a fourth term almost inevitable.
His criticism extends beyond personal grievances; Tebas warned that an over‑emphasis on the World Cup risks marginalising domestic leagues and the welfare of players, insisting that “not everything can revolve around the World Cup.”
A call for reform
Tebas has long argued that expanding the tournament to 64 teams or extending commercial breaks for advertising does not improve football’s integrity, and he warned that the sport’s future depends on preserving national competitions.
The Spanish administrator also highlighted the differing climate conditions in host cities such as Dallas, Los Angeles and Atlanta, where state‑of‑the‑art cooling systems were installed, underscoring what he sees as FIFA’s uneven standards.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has echoed some of these concerns, describing FIFA’s handling of the Balogun case as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable,” while Tebas himself has called for a more transparent and accountable governance structure.
In Tebas’s view, the solution lies in putting the interests of the game ahead of commercial gain, restoring confidence in the sport’s governing bodies, and ensuring that the passion of fans is not eclipsed by the pursuit of profit.