La Liga chief Tebas demands Infantino’s resignation over ‘rotten’ Fifa governance

La Liga president Javier Tebas has issued a stark call for Fifa president Gianni Infantino to step down, accusing the world governing body of systematically destroying the football industry. In an interview with Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tebas declared that Infantino’s “time is up,” citing a pattern of decisions that he argues prioritise commercial gain over the structural integrity of the sport.

The criticism was voiced while Tebas was in the United States for the 2026 World Cup, where he observed a tournament marked by significant administrative controversy. Tebas highlighted the intervention of US President Donald Trump to overturn the suspension of American striker Folarin Balogun for the last-16 match against Belgium. Tebas suggested that Fifa’s handling of the case was precarious, noting that Belgium’s elimination of the United States likely prevented a crisis that could have cost Infantino his position.

Tebas also targeted Fifa’s proposed expansion to a 64-team World Cup, arguing that such moves ignore the domestic competitions that sustain the sport’s economic and competitive health. He contended that the governing body was sacrificing tens of thousands of jobs and the interests of national leagues for a single event lasting 40 days. “Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense,” Tebas stated, adding that the industry is being damaged by leaders who fail to recognise the value of national football.

Further grievances included the implementation of mandatory three-minute hydration breaks and a 27-minute half-time interval at the final. While Fifa framed the breaks as a player welfare measure, Tebas dismissed them as a “lie” designed to facilitate advertising breaks, pointing to the air-conditioned stadiums in cities like Dallas and Los Angeles where conditions did not necessitate such interruptions. He argued that Fifa arranges its schedule and rules solely for its own interests, disregarding the broader football community.

Despite Tebas’s condemnation, he acknowledged that Infantino is likely to secure re-election for a fourth term at Fifa’s March congress. The La Liga chief described the election system as “rotten at its core,” noting that national federations continue to support Infantino because there are no opposition candidates willing to stand for a position they are expected to lose. He expressed frustration with the silence of other critics, describing their inaction as complicity in the damage being done to the sport.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin’s absence from the World Cup final was cited by Tebas as evidence of the growing rift within football’s governance structures. Ceferin had previously criticised Fifa’s decision regarding Balogun as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.” Tebas concluded that the current state of affairs ensures Infantino’s retention, despite widespread awareness of the institutional damage being inflicted on the game.

BBC Sport has contacted Fifa for comment.