# Fifa manipulating World Cup schedules for profit, says Tebas

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/la-liga-chief-claims-fifa-is-destroying-football-industry-and-calls-for-infantino-to-quit/
- Published: 2026-07-21T13:15:48+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-21T19:33:07+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/21/la-liga-chief-javier-tebas-claims-fifa-is-destroying-football-industry-and-calls-for-gianni-infantino-to-quit
- Topics: Football, Government, Politics, Sport

## Key points

- 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

## Summary

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.

## Coverage

- [The Guardian: Fifa manipulating World Cup schedules for profit, says Tebas](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/21/la-liga-chief-javier-tebas-claims-fifa-is-destroying-football-industry-and-calls-for-gianni-infantino-to-quit)
- [BBC Sport: Infantino's 'time is up' with Fifa - La Liga boss](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cqjxzy44l0vo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.