'Infantino Must Go': La Liga Chief Launches Explosive Attack On FIFA President

Last Updated:July 21, 2026, 19:30 IST

La Liga president Javier Tebas has called on FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to resign, accusing him of "destroying the football industry" with controversial World Cup decisions.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has launched one of his strongest attacks yet on FIFA president Gianni Infantino, insisting the Swiss official should step down after what he described as a series of decisions that are “destroying the football industry."

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport after attending Spain’s World Cup triumph in the United States, Tebas criticised everything from the expanded World Cup and extended half-time show to mandatory hydration breaks and FIFA’s controversial intervention over United States striker Folarin Balogun’s suspension.

“His Time Is Up"

Asked directly whether Infantino should resign, Tebas didn’t hesitate.

“In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up."

The La Liga chief argued, however, that Infantino remains protected by FIFA’s electoral system.

“There’s no opposition candidate, nobody wants to stand just to lose. He shouldn’t stay, but the current state of affairs means he won’t leave."

Tebas added that while many football administrators privately oppose Infantino’s leadership, few are willing to challenge him publicly.

“These past few days here in America, I’ve heard many people who are against Infantino, who disagree with what he’s doing. They say it, but then they do nothing. I don’t know what’s worse, the silence or the complicity."

Balogun Controversy Still Rankles

Tebas also revisited one of the tournament’s biggest controversies — the decision to postpone Folarin Balogun’s suspension before the United States’ Round of 16 clash against Belgium following intervention from US President Donald Trump.

He believes Belgium’s victory ultimately prevented a much larger scandal.

“The suspension of the American player’s ban was absolutely serious. They were lucky that Belgium eliminated the USA, because otherwise a case could have arisen that might have cost Infantino his job."

UEFA had previously branded the decision “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable," with president Aleksander Čeferin subsequently skipping the World Cup final.

World Cup Over Everything?

The Spanish football chief also criticised FIFA’s push to further expand the World Cup to 64 teams, arguing domestic football is paying the price.

“Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense. The football industry isn’t just the World Cup. It’s the national competitions that sustain this sport."

He warned that FIFA’s growing international calendar threatens leagues around the world.

“We need fewer international matches and more protection for national football. They don’t realise they are making irresponsible decisions."

Hydration Breaks, Half-time Show Criticised

Tebas reserved particular criticism for FIFA’s mandatory hydration breaks and the 27-minute half-time interval during the World Cup final, which featured performances by Madonna, BTS, Shakira and Justin Bieber.

While FIFA insisted the cooling breaks were introduced for player welfare, Tebas dismissed the explanation.

“Hydration breaks are a lie. Here, the stadiums had air conditioning. It was a break for advertising."

He concluded by accusing FIFA of prioritising commercial interests over football itself.

“FIFA arranges things as it pleases, for what it wants, for its own interests, certainly not for football."

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Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His...Read More

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