La Liga president Javier Tebas has also criticized FIFA president Gianni Infantino, saying he needs to step down from decisions he believes are damaging football. Tebas accused FIFA of putting commercial interests ahead of the sport by expanding international competition and increasing the number of matches. His latest comments come amid talks to expand the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams.Tebas said expanding the World Cup would also harm domestic competitions, which he believes are the backbone of football. “Increasing the number of international teams is not clear. The football industry is not only the World Cup, which is a very important event. But not everything can be linked to the World Cup,” said La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy, as cited by the AP agency.He also called for Infantino to step down, saying, “In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up.” Tebas added that many people secretly criticize Infantino but fail to act, saying: “He shouldn’t stay, but he won’t leave… those who stay silent are well aware of the damage to football.”Tebas also criticized FIFA’s 27-minute half-time break during the World Cup final, saying: “The water break is a lie… It was a lie – and a marketing break.”
A group of fans join the protest
Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has also criticized FIFA’s handling of the World Cup, calling for major changes in the system. The group criticized FIFA for prioritizing commercial interests over sponsors, introducing high ticket prices, expensive travel, poor communication and changing the culture of football. The FSE said the tournament damaged the reputation of FIFA and the World Cup, arguing that “FIFA is unfit to govern world football” and accused Infantino of putting financial and political interests ahead of the future of the game.
