FIFA ‘destroying football’ for the World Cup, says Spanish football chief

play Live Sign upShow navigation menuNavigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedSportOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftWorld Cup 2026Match ScheduleKnockout BracketGroup Standingscaret-rightSport|World Cup 2026FIFA ‘destroying football’ for the World Cup, says Spanish football chiefIn a scathing interview, La Liga President Javier Tebas says FIFA chief Gianni Infantino’s time is ‘over’. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoFIFA President Gianni Infantino waves as he arrives for the World Cup final at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19, 2026 [Charly Triballeau/AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff and AFPPublished On 21 Jul 202621 Jul 2026The 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 said that FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s time was “over” in the interview published in La Gazzetta dello Sport on Tuesday. He lamented the manner in which FIFA’s leadership is elected, terming it a system that is “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 destroying 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 mentioned “discussions about expanding to 64 teams” for the World Cup’s centenary in 2030, which will be cohosted 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 organise a 64-team World Cup,” Tebas added, emphasising 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 realise 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. Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: