La Liga President Tebas Calls for Infantino's Resignation

Spanish La Liga President Javier Tebas has once again questioned the leadership of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. He has demanded Infantino's resignation, opposing a possible plan to increase the number of teams participating in the World Cup from 48 to 64.

In an interview with Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tebas said that expanding the World Cup is not a positive decision for football. According to him, the entire football structure should not be put under excessive pressure for the sake of one tournament.

Opposition to the 64-team World Cup plan

Tebas claims that increasing the number of teams in the World Cup will increase the pressure on national leagues. He said that it is not right to upset the balance of the entire football industry for a competition that lasts just a few weeks.

The La Liga president believes that FIFA should give more importance to the protection of national leagues and the interests of players.

For the first time, 48 teams will participate in the 2026 World Cup. The World Cup has been held in a 32-team format since 1998. Meanwhile, discussions are underway to further increase the number of teams in the 2030 edition.

Questions about Infantino's leadership

Gianni Infantino may run for a fourth term at the FIFA Congress next year. However, Tebas believes that his time as leader is over.

He said that FIFA's current electoral system has reached a point where effective competition is not being created. He also complained that many people criticize FIFA's decision privately but do not want to take a position publicly.

Multiple complaints about FIFA's decision

Tebas has also expressed dissatisfaction with various administrative decisions by FIFA.

He also questioned the lifting of the ban on US footballer Folarin Balogun during the World Cup. He alleged that this brought to the fore the issue of political influence.

According to Tebas, football decisions need to be transparent and impartial.

Objections to hydration breaks too

The La Liga president has also criticized hydration breaks during World Cup matches.

He said that the same rules do not need to be applied to all venues. Although there is a justification for taking breaks due to excessive heat, he believes that in many cases it is turning into a commercial break.

However, Tebas admitted that FIFA President Infantino's position is still strong. According to him, it is difficult to challenge Infantino in the current situation due to the support of various football federations.

Although there is controversy surrounding FIFA over the expansion of the World Cup, the schedule, commercial decisions and administrative activities, analysts believe that the possibility of major changes under Infantino's leadership is still limited.