Javier Tebas believes Gianni Infantino’s time as FIFA president should come to an end.
The La Liga chief has accused the global governing body of damaging domestic football, manipulating tournament rules and operating within a system that makes genuine opposition almost impossible.
According to Louise Taylor’s report for The Guardian, Tebas made the remarks in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“There is no opposition candidate, nobody wants to stand just to lose,” Tebas said, describing FIFA’s political system as “rotten at its core”.
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Infantino prepares for another election
Infantino was first elected FIFA president in February 2016 before being returned unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
FIFA’s official account of the 2023 Congress confirms that his current four-year term runs from 2023 until 2027. He was therefore not elected in 2027, as initially stated.
Infantino has already announced that he will stand again when FIFA holds its next presidential election in 2027, according to a statement published by the governing body.
He has overseen three men’s World Cups during his presidency, Russia in 2018, Qatar in 2022 and the expanded 48-team tournament in North America in 2026.
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Tebas attacks commercial breaks
Tebas’s criticism extended beyond FIFA’s internal politics.
Quoted by Sam Marsden for ESPN, he accused the organisation of using mandatory hydration breaks to create additional advertising opportunities.
“Hydration breaks are a lie,” Tebas said.
He claimed there was no sporting justification for some of the stoppages because stadiums in Dallas, Los Angeles and Atlanta were sufficiently cooled. His comments were directed at FIFA’s blanket use of breaks rather than the principle of allowing players to take on fluids in genuinely dangerous temperatures.
Tebas also criticised the 27-minute interval introduced for the World Cup final, arguing that FIFA had again altered the normal structure of a match to satisfy its commercial plans.
Trump intervention fuels Balogun fury
The Folarin Balogun controversy was another central part of Tebas’s attack.
Balogun was sent off during the United States’ 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina but was permitted to face Belgium after FIFA suspended his automatic one-match ban for a one-year probationary period.
Donald Trump confirmed that he had spoken directly to Infantino and requested a review. As reported by Jack Kenmare for SPORTbible, the US president claimed he was responsible for prompting the intervention, although he denied ordering Infantino to reach a particular decision.
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“I didn’t tell him what to do. I can’t tell him what to do,” Trump said.
FIFA maintained that its disciplinary committee acted independently under Article 27 of the disciplinary code. Tebas nevertheless argued that the episode was exceptionally serious and could have placed Infantino’s position under even greater pressure had the United States eliminated Belgium.
World Cup expansion faces opposition
Tebas is also firmly opposed to the possibility of expanding the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams.
The larger format has not yet been formally approved by FIFA. However, CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez publicly claimed that the centenary tournament would feature 64 countries.
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Fabio Licari wrote in La Gazzetta dello Sport that Domínguez’s announcement appeared to come before the proposal had passed through FIFA’s relevant committees.
Tebas believes further expansion would place additional pressure on the domestic competitions that employ most professional players and sustain thousands of jobs across football.
Ceferin stays away from final
Tebas’s comments come amid a broader deterioration in the relationship between FIFA and UEFA.
Reuters reported that UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin refused to attend the World Cup final following a series of disagreements involving disciplinary procedures, refereeing logistics and tournament operations.
UEFA’s accusation that FIFA had “crossed a red line” specifically concerned the Balogun decision. It was not a description of the separate disputes involving Iran or Somali referee Omar Artan.
Those incidents were among Ceferin’s additional concerns, however. As described by Luke Davies for SPORTbible, UEFA was also dissatisfied after US authorities denied Artan entry and amid concerns over FIFA’s handling of the Iranian team.
Despite the criticism, Infantino remains the clear favourite to win another term in 2027. With no confirmed opponent and overwhelming support among FIFA’s member associations, Tebas’s demand is a powerful public challenge but is unlikely to force an immediate change.
