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La Liga president Javier Tebas has intensified his long-running criticism of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, claiming the Swiss administrator should leave office and accusing him of making decisions that are damaging the wider football ecosystem.

Speaking to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport after attending Spain’s FIFA World Cup 2026 triumph in the United States, Tebas questioned several of FIFA’s recent policies and argued that the governing body is placing commercial interests ahead of the sport’s long-term health.

When asked whether Infantino should resign from his position, Tebas offered a direct response.

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

Despite his criticism, the La Liga chief suggested that Infantino’s position remains secure because of the current FIFA electoral structure.

“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 also claimed that many influential figures within football privately disagree with Infantino’s leadership but are unwilling 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.”

One of the major issues raised by Tebas was FIFA’s handling of the Folarin Balogun suspension controversy during the World Cup. The United States striker’s ban was postponed before a Round of 16 match against Belgium, a decision that sparked criticism across European football.

Tebas believes the matter could have become significantly more damaging had the United States progressed further in the competition.

“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.”

The Spanish football executive also voiced strong opposition to FIFA’s proposal to expand future World Cups to 64 teams. According to Tebas, increasing the size of the tournament risks placing even greater strain on an already crowded football calendar.

“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 further warned that domestic leagues around the world are increasingly being squeezed by international commitments.

Tebas also criticised FIFA’s mandatory hydration breaks and the extended 27-minute half-time interval during the World Cup final, arguing that such measures were motivated more by commercial considerations than player welfare.

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

Concluding his remarks, Tebas accused FIFA of prioritising its own interests over the game itself, deepening the growing divide between domestic league administrators and football’s global governing body.

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