La Liga's Tebas calls for Infantino to resign, criticises FIFA's competition expansion
Tebas said Infantino's "time is up," but added that, given the current "state of affairs," he did not expect the Fifa president to leave office
La Liga President Javier Tebas has called on Fifa President Gianni Infantino to resign, accusing world football's governing body of damaging the sport through the expansion of international competitions and its handling of disciplinary matters.
Tebas said Fifa's plans to increase the number of international tournaments, including proposals to expand the men's World Cup to 64 teams, were harming domestic leagues that underpin the global football industry, says USA Today.
While describing the World Cup as one of football's premier events, Tebas argued that domestic competitions sustain the sport throughout the year and support tens of thousands of jobs. He said an increasingly crowded international calendar was placing excessive strain on leagues, clubs and players.
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Infantino is expected to seek a fourth term as Fifa president in 2027. Tebas said the election process was unlikely to produce a challenger, arguing that the current governance system was "flawed from the ground up" because potential opponents were unwilling to stand despite what he said was private disagreement with Infantino's leadership among football officials.
Tebas also criticised Fifa's handling of disciplinary matters, pointing to the case of US forward Folarin Balogun. He said Fifa's decision to postpone Balogun's one-match suspension following a red card, reportedly after intervention by US President Donald Trump, was "extremely serious."
The dispute reflects broader tensions between Fifa and some of European football's leading administrators over the international match calendar and governance.
Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin did not attend the World Cup final following disagreements with Fifa over disciplinary procedures, refereeing and match logistics, adding to signs of friction between the two organisations.
Tebas said Infantino's "time is up," but added that, given the current "state of affairs," he did not expect the Fifa president to leave office.
