La Liga president Javier Tebas has called on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to step down, accusing world football’s governing body of “destroying the football industry” by expanding international competitions at the expense of domestic leagues and clubs.

Tebas, who has repeatedly criticized FIFA over fixture congestion and plans to expand the World Cup, said Infantino’s tenure should end.

“In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up,” Tebas told Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport when asked if Infantino should resign.

Infantino, who has been FIFA president since 2016, announced in April that he would seek a fourth term. Elections for the 2027-31 cycle are scheduled to be held in Morocco on March 18 next year.

However, Tebas acknowledged that Infantino enjoys strong support among the national federations, making it difficult for anyone to challenge him.

“He shouldn’t stay, but the current situation means he won’t go,” Tebas said.

“There’s no opposition candidate; no one wants to run to lose. That’s the system, and it’s a system that’s flawed from the ground up.”

“I hear a lot of people against Infantino, who don’t agree with what he’s doing. They say so, but then do nothing.”

Balogun ban under investigation

Tebas also criticized FIFA’s decision to postpone the suspension of one match United States striker Folarin Balogun has been sent off after being shown a red card at the World Cup. This decision came after the intervention of US President Donald Trump. In the round of 16, Belgium defeated the United States 4–1.

Tebas said, “It is a very serious matter to have the American player banned. They were fortunate that Belgium excluded the United States, because otherwise it could have resulted in a case that could have cost Infantino his job.”

“Because Belgium won, they managed to hush up the matter. But these things are just the tip of the iceberg.”

His comments come at a time of rising tensions between FIFA and UEFA. UEFA president Aleksandar Ceferin skips Sunday’s World Cup final Following disagreements over disciplinary procedures, refereeing logistics and match officiating, according to a Reuters source.

Tebas opposes World Cup expansion

Tebas also attacked proposals to expand the Men’s World Cup to 64 teams for the centenary edition in 2030, following CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez’s renewed calls for a larger tournament. Infantino had previously said the proposal could be considered in the future.

The La Liga chief said a big World Cup would come at the expense of domestic competitions, which he believes are the foundation of the game.

“There is no point in increasing the number of national teams,” Tebas said.

“The football industry is not just the World Cup, which is the most important event. But everything cannot revolve around the World Cup. It is the national competitions that sustain the game.

“They are destroying the football industry, which creates thousands of jobs, for an event that lasts 40 days and only a minority of players participate in it.”

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