La Liga president Javier Tebas has called on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to step down, accusing him of "destroying the football industry" by prioritising the expansion of international competitions over the interests of domestic leagues and clubs, report agencies.
Speaking to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport on Tuesday, Tebas said Infantino's leadership had run its course.
"In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up," Tebas said when asked whether the FIFA chief should resign.
The outspoken Spanish league chief has repeatedly criticised FIFA over fixture congestion and the governing body's plans to further expand the men's World Cup. His latest comments come as South American football confederation CONMEBOL has officially proposed increasing the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams to mark the tournament's centenary. FIFA has acknowledged that the idea could be considered.
Tebas argued that another expansion would further undermine domestic football.
"Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense," he said. "The football industry isn't just the World Cup. It's the national competitions that sustain this sport. They're 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."
He stressed that football needed fewer national teams and stronger protection for domestic competitions rather than a continually expanding international calendar.
Despite his criticism, Tebas said he saw little chance of Infantino leaving office because of the FIFA president's strong backing among national federations.
"He shouldn't stay, but he won't leave," Tebas said. "There's no opposition candidate. No one wants to run just to lose. This is the system, and it's flawed from the ground up."
He also criticised those within football who privately oppose Infantino but refuse to challenge him publicly.
"I've heard many people against Infantino. They say it, but then they do nothing. I don't know what's worse, the silence or the complicity."
Tebas also attacked FIFA's management of the recently concluded World Cup, accusing the governing body of putting commercial interests ahead of the game.
He criticised the introduction of hydration breaks during matches, arguing they were unnecessary in many venues and primarily created additional advertising opportunities.
"FIFA arranges things as it pleases, for its own interests, certainly not for football," he said. "Hydration breaks are a lie. We use them in La Liga only when it's genuinely hot. Here, it was just a break for advertising."
The La Liga president also questioned FIFA's decision to postpone the one-match suspension of United States forward Folarin
Balogun following intervention by US President Donald Trump during the tournament.
"The suspension of the American player's ban is an extremely serious matter," Tebas said. "They were lucky Belgium eliminated the U.S., otherwise it could have become a case that might have cost Infantino his job."
His remarks came amid wider criticism of FIFA's governance following the expanded 48-team World Cup. Football Supporters Europe (FSE), the UEFA-recognised supporters' body, said the tournament prioritised commercialisation over fans and called for structural reforms to FIFA, arguing that decision-making should be returned to the FIFA Council and Congress with greater consultation involving leagues, clubs, players and supporters.
Infantino announced in April that he will seek a fourth term as FIFA president. The election for the 2027-2031 cycle is scheduled
to take place in Morocco on March 18 next year.
The FSE, accepted by European soccer's governing body UEFA as the recognized group representing fans in the region, then went on to attack "historically high ticket prices" and "skyrocketing transportation costs, bending of rules and procedures, exclusion of swathes of the global population and a lack of transparent communication.
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