La Liga president Javier Tebas speaks to the media on the Ciudad del Futbol in Las Rozas, Spain, December 16, 2024. — Reuters
The president of the Spanish soccer league, Javier Tebas, accused Fifa of appearing “irresponsibly” following the announcement of discussions concerning a attainable 64-team World Cup in 2030, in an interview with an Italian sports activities every day revealed on Tuesday.
Tebas additionally mentioned that Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s time was “over”, telling La Gazzetta dello Sport that there’s a “system that is fundamentally flawed”, which has allowed him to steer soccer’s world governing physique for a decade.
“The football industry is not just about the World Cup, however important it may be,” he mentioned.
“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.”
On the Fifa World Cup opening ceremony in June, Infantino talked about “discussions about expanding to 64 teams” for the World Cup’s centenary in 2030, which will probably be co-hosted primarily by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina additionally welcoming some matches.
“We have repeatedly expressed our concerns about the competition calendar. And now they want to organise a 64-team World Cup,” Tebas added, emphasising that “it is the domestic leagues that keep this sport alive”.
“We need fewer national teams and better protection for domestic football at all levels. They don’t realise this and are making decisions irresponsibly,” Tebas added.
