La Liga president Javier Tebas says Fifa is 'destroying the football industry' and calls for Infantino to quit
On 21 July 2026 La Liga president Javier Tebas said Fifa is "destroying the football industry" and urged Fifa president Gianni Infantino to quit. The comments came as the aftermath of the 2026 World Cup intersected with proposals to expand the 2030 tournament from 48 to 64 teams.
Tebas made his remarks in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, criticising recent directions taken by world football’s governing body. He stated that "Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense," and insisted that "The football industry is not just the World Cup, which is the most important event. But not everything can revolve around the World Cup. It is national competitions that support this sport." He also accused Fifa of poor judgement, saying "Fifa are making irresponsible decisions," and attacked the credibility of recent in-game pauses with the comment 'Hydration breaks are a lie … it was a break for advertising'.
Tebas argued that enlarging the World Cup would undermine domestic competitions, which he described as the foundation of the sport. He said that while the World Cup is the pinnacle, it cannot be the sole focus of football’s calendar. The president of Spain’s top league used the interview to stress the economic and structural importance of national leagues in sustaining clubs, players and broader football ecosystems.
On the question of tournament expansion, Tebas was unequivocal in his dismissal of proposals to add more national teams. He told La Gazzetta dello Sport that "Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense," a phrase he used to underline his opposition to altering the established World Cup format. His stance was presented in the context of discussions around a possible move from 48 to 64 participants at the 2030 event.
Tebas also targeted Fifa’s decision-making and public messaging, accusing the organisation of prioritising commercial activity over the sport. He labelled the introduction of breaks during matches as deceptive with the remark 'Hydration breaks are a lie … it was a break for advertising'. That criticism formed part of his wider assertion that Fifa’s recent choices are damaging to football’s long-term interests.
Alongside his policy objections, Tebas directly called for leadership change at Fifa by urging Gianni Infantino to step down. The demand was framed as a response to what Tebas characterised as a pattern of imprudent decisions at the governing body. He repeated his view that the organisation’s course is harmful to the industry as a whole, encapsulated in his charge that Fifa is "destroying the football industry".
The remarks were made as the fallout from the 2026 World Cup continued to settle and debate over the structure of future tournaments intensified. Tebas’ comments add a prominent national-league leader’s voice to the discussion about the balance between global events and domestic competitions. Their publication in La Gazzetta dello Sport ensures the arguments will be part of ongoing conversations about Fifa policy and the proposed expansion of the 2030 World Cup.