President of the Spanish League Accuses FIFA of 'Destroying the Football Industry'

The president of Spain’s La Liga, Javier Tebas, accused the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) of “destroying the football industry” following reports of discussions about hosting a 64-team World Cup in 2030, in an interview with an Italian sports newspaper. Tebas also stated that FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s time “has come to an end,” criticizing the “fundamentally flawed system” that has allowed him to lead FIFA for a decade, in remarks to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The La Liga president said, “Increasing the number of participating teams makes no sense. The football industry is not solely about the World Cup, however important it may be. They are destroying the football industry, which provides tens of thousands of jobs, for the sake of an event lasting 40 days that matters only to a minority of players.”

He added, “We have repeatedly expressed our concerns about the competition calendar. Now they want to organize a World Cup with 64 teams,” expressing regret and emphasizing that “domestic competitions are what keep this sport alive.”

Tebas continued, “We need fewer national teams and better protection for local football at all levels. They do not realize this and make decisions in an irresponsible manner.”

It is worth noting that during the North American World Cup, Infantino spoke of “discussions about expanding the tournament to 64 teams” in connection with the centenary of the World Cup in 2030, which will be hosted across multiple countries (Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, as well as Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina).