La Liga President Criticizes FIFA Over World Cup Expansion Plans

In a scathing interview, La Liga President Javier Tebas says FIFA chief Gianni Infantino’s time is ‘over’.

Published On 21 Jul 202621 Jul 2026

The president of the Spanish football league, Javier Tebas, has accused FIFA of acting “irresponsibly” following the announcement of discussions regarding a possible 64-team World Cup in 2030, in an interview with an Italian sports daily.

Tebas also stated that FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s tenure was “over” in the interview published in La Gazzetta dello Sport on Tuesday.

He criticized FIFA’s leadership election system, calling it “fundamentally flawed,” which has allowed Infantino to lead football’s global governing body for a decade.

“The football industry is not just about the World Cup, however important it may be,” he said.

“They are undermining the sustainability of the football industry—which generates tens of thousands of jobs—for an event that lasts 40 days and involves only a minority of players.”

At the World Cup opening ceremony in June, Infantino referenced “discussions about expanding to 64 teams” for the World Cup’s centenary in 2030, which will be co-hosted primarily by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina also welcoming some matches.

“We have repeatedly expressed our concerns about the competition calendar. And now they want to organize a 64-team World Cup,” Tebas added, emphasizing that “it is the domestic leagues that keep this sport alive.”

“We need fewer national teams and better protection for domestic football at all levels. They don’t realize this and are making decisions irresponsibly,” Tebas added.

FIFA has not responded to Al Jazeera’s request for a comment following the accusations levelled by La Liga’s Tebas.

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