Fifa manipulating World Cup schedules for profit, says Tebas
Developed over time first seen 3 months ago
La Liga president Javier Tebas has called on Fifa president Gianni Infantino to resign, accusing him of "destroying the football industry" by prioritising the World Cup over national leagues, in remarks echoed by Infantino's predecessor Sepp Blatter, who urged fans, players and associations to "reclaim football" under new leadership. The intervention followed Spain's World Cup final win and highlights growing unease among senior football figures over Fifa's direction, though both men concede Infantino faces no real threat given his unchallenged grip on the federation system.
Tebas singled out Fifa's plan to expand the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams as unjustifiable, arguing the tournament's 40-day duration and narrow player pool do not warrant sidelining national competitions that sustain "tens of thousands of jobs". He also revisited the Folarin Balogun affair, in which the USA striker's suspended ban was lifted after Donald Trump phoned Infantino directly, saying Fifa "were lucky" the USA lost to Belgium in the last 16 or the episode could have cost Infantino his job; he further alleged that lengthy half-time breaks and on-pitch "hydration breaks" served commercial rather than genuine welfare purposes. Infantino, seeking a fourth term unopposed in March, has said the Balogun decision was made independently by Fifa's disciplinary committee.
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In short
- Tebas and Blatter both demand Gianni Infantino quit as Fifa president
- Tebas accuses Fifa of favouring World Cup profits over national leagues
- Balogun ban U-turn after Trump call cited as near-scandal for Infantino
How this story developed
- 3 months ago Tebas has gone further still, accusing Infantino of rigging match scheduling and staged "hydration breaks" for commercial gain, pointing to a 27-minute half-time interval and air-conditioned stadiums in Dallas, Los Angeles and Atlanta as proof the pauses were never about player welfare.
- 3 months ago Fuller details of Tebas's broadside have emerged from an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, in which he declared Infantino's "time is up" and branded Fifa's governance "rotten at its core", while conceding the Fifa president still commands the federations' backing and faces no rival for the presidency.
- 3 months ago La Liga president Javier Tebas has demanded Gianni Infantino's resignation as Fifa president, branding him a destroyer of the football industry, a view backed by former Fifa chief Sepp Blatter, even as both men admitted Infantino's grip on the organisation leaves him virtually unassailable.
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The case for
Those sympathetic to Tebas's critique argue that Fifa's expansion of the World Cup and its handling of scheduling increasingly serve commercial interests over the health of the sport as a whole. They contend that a congested calendar, extended tournaments and additional showcase fixtures place strain on players and squeeze out the domestic leagues that provide week-to-week income and employment for the vast majority of those working in football, and that transparency around decisions such as high-profile disciplinary rulings is essential to maintaining trust in the game's governance.
The case against
Defenders of Fifa's approach argue that a larger, more frequent World Cup extends the game's reach and opportunity to nations and players who otherwise rarely experience top-level international competition, and that growing global interest ultimately funds development programmes worldwide. They point out that disciplinary and welfare decisions, including player breaks during matches, are made through established Fifa committees rather than by any single individual, and that criticism from league officials, who have their own commercial stake in domestic competitions, should be weighed with that context in mind.
Explained simply
Fifa's men's World Cup is football's biggest and most lucrative tournament, run by the sport's global governing body under president Gianni Infantino. National leagues such as Spain's La Liga, run by figures like president Javier Tebas, depend on club football continuing largely uninterrupted through the season, so any expansion or rescheduling of the World Cup can clash with their commercial and sporting interests.
Tensions have grown as Fifa has pushed to enlarge the World Cup, including plans to expand the 2030 tournament to 64 teams, prompting warnings from league officials that this could squeeze out domestic competitions and the jobs tied to them. Infantino, who took over from former president Sepp Blatter, has also faced questions over how Fifa handles disciplinary and welfare matters during tournaments, and is currently seeking another term in charge unopposed.
The dispute matters because it touches on who controls the calendar and finances of world football, a multi-billion-pound industry involving national federations, leagues, clubs and players. Disagreements between Fifa and league leaders can affect fixture schedules, player workloads and revenue sharing across the sport for years to come.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “La Liga chief claims Fifa is ‘destroying football industry’ and calls for Infantino to quit”.