LaLiga president Javier Tebas has launched a fierce attack on FIFA following Spain’s World Cup triumph, calling for Gianni Infantino to step down and accusing the organisation of damaging the wider football industry.

In an interview with Filippo Maria Ricci, published by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tebas criticised FIFA’s leadership, its commercialisation of the World Cup and the controversial disciplinary decision involving United States forward Folarin Balogun.

Tebas wants Infantino out

Asked whether Infantino should leave his position, Tebas offered an unequivocal response.

“In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up,” he said. “However, he has the support of the system, of the federations, so there’s not much more to add, is there?”

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Infantino, 56, has confirmed that he will seek re-election in 2027. According to FIFA’s official announcement, he informed all 211 member associations of his decision at the organisation’s congress in Vancouver.

No rival candidate has yet emerged, something Tebas believes reflects a fundamentally broken election system.

“There’s no opposition candidate; nobody wants to stand just to lose,” he said. “This is the system, and it’s a system rotten at its core. He shouldn’t stay, but the current state of affairs means he won’t leave.”

Balogun controversy fuels the attack

Tebas also highlighted FIFA’s handling of Balogun’s red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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The American forward initially faced an automatic one-match suspension. However, FIFA placed the punishment on probation for one year, allowing him to play in the last-16 tie against Belgium. The red card itself was not overturned.

US President Donald Trump subsequently confirmed that he had contacted Infantino and asked for the case to be reviewed. Infantino denied personally making the disciplinary decision.

“The suspension of the American player’s ban was absolutely serious,” Tebas said. “They were lucky that Belgium eliminated the USA, because otherwise, a case could have arisen that might have cost Infantino his job. Since Belgium won, they managed to bury the matter. But these things are just the tip of the iceberg.”

UEFA described FIFA’s handling of the case as crossing “a red line”. President Aleksander Ceferin then stayed away from the World Cup final, although his absence was linked to several disagreements with FIFA rather than the Balogun case alone. According to Reuters’ report on the dispute, the other issues included refereeing logistics, match operations and mandatory hydration breaks.

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Tebas warns against a 64-team World Cup

Tebas believes FIFA’s willingness to discuss expanding the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams is another sign that the governing body is neglecting domestic competitions.

“Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense,” he said. “The football industry isn’t just the World Cup, which is the most important event. But not everything can revolve around the World Cup.”

He argued that national leagues provide football with year-round employment and financial stability.

“It’s the national competitions that sustain this sport,” Tebas said. “They are destroying the football industry, which generates tens of thousands of jobs, for an event that lasts 40 days and involves a minority of players.”

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A 64-team competition has been discussed, but FIFA has not formally approved the expansion.

“Hydration breaks are a lie”

The LaLiga president was equally dismissive of the three-minute hydration breaks introduced midway through both halves of every World Cup match.

According to FIFA’s explanation of the rule, the breaks were mandatory regardless of the weather and were designed to protect players while ensuring equal conditions across the tournament.

Tebas rejected that explanation and claimed the stoppages primarily served commercial interests.

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“Hydration breaks are a lie,” he said. “We have them in La Liga, but only when it’s genuinely hot. Here, the pitches in Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta had air conditioning; I had to put on a jumper in the stands. It was a lie, a break for advertising.”

He also criticised the World Cup final’s extended half-time interval. The usual 15-minute break lasted more than 27 minutes to accommodate an 11-minute show featuring Madonna, BTS, Shakira, Justin Bieber and other performers.

“FIFA arranges things as it pleases, for what it wants, for its own interests, certainly not for football,” Tebas said. “So, if they need a 27-minute half-time break, they’ll have it.”

Silence and complicity under fire

Tebas said he had encountered considerable private opposition to Infantino during his time in the United States but accused senior figures within football of failing to challenge the FIFA president publicly.

“They say it, but then they do nothing,” he said. “I don’t know what’s worse, the silence or the complicity, because those who stay silent are perfectly aware of the damage football is suffering.”

For Tebas, the dispute is no longer about a single disciplinary ruling or an extended half-time show. It is a broader battle over who controls football’s calendar, how the sport’s money is distributed and whether domestic competitions are being sacrificed to make FIFA’s flagship tournament even bigger.