La Liga chief says Fifa is harming football with talk of a 64-team World Cup

ROME: La Liga president Javier Tebas has criticised Fifa over discussions about expanding the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams, saying the move would damage domestic football and reflect what he called irresponsible decision-making by the sport’s global governing body.

In an interview published Tuesday by Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tebas said football could not be viewed only through the lens of the World Cup. He argued that local leagues sustain the game and warned that further expanding the international calendar would come at their expense. Tebas also said Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s time was over and described the system that has kept him in charge for a decade as fundamentally flawed.

He said La Liga had repeatedly raised concerns over the match calendar and objected to the idea of a bigger tournament for 2030, which will mark the World Cup’s centenary. The edition is due to be hosted mainly by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, while Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina will also stage some matches.

Attributing the remarks to Tebas, he believes domestic competitions are essential to the sport’s survival and that national-team football should take up less space in the schedule. He also accused Fifa of undermining an industry that supports large numbers of jobs for the sake of a short event involving only a limited share of players.

Tebas said, "They are 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 added, "We need fewer national teams and better protection for domestic football at all levels. They don't realise this and are making decisions irresponsibly."

Fifa president Gianni Infantino had referred to discussions on a possible 64-team format during the World Cup opening ceremony in June.