In a frank interview with Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tebas outlined multiple grievances including the World Cup’s mandatory hydration breaks, the extended half-time show featuring pop superstars, interference in player suspensions, and alarming proposals for a 64-team summer tournament.
“His time is up,” Tebas stated bluntly when asked about Infantino’s future. However, he acknowledged the 56-year-old retains strong backing from national federations, describing FIFA’s electoral system as “rotten at its core” with no viable opposition candidates willing to challenge the incumbent.
The La Liga boss, who attended the 2026 World Cup final in the United States, claimed widespread discontent exists beneath the surface. “I’ve heard many people who are against Infantino, who disagree with what he’s doing. They say it, but then they do nothing. I don’t know what’s worse, the silence or the complicity.”
Tebas pointed to the controversial case of US striker Folarin Balogun as a potential tipping point. The player escaped suspension for the last-16 tie against Belgium following intervention from President Donald Trump—a decision UEFA called “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.” Tebas believes Infantino narrowly avoided a crisis when Belgium eliminated the USA, allowing the matter to be “buried.”
The Spanish official reserved particular criticism for FIFA’s approach to the World Cup format and scheduling. “Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense. The football industry isn’t just the World Cup—it’s the national competitions that sustain this sport.”
He also dismissed the three-minute hydration breaks as disingenuous, noting that multiple stadiums featured air conditioning and the real purpose was advertising revenue. The 27-minute half-time show featuring Madonna, BTS, Shakira and Justin Bieber drew similar condemnation.
“FIFA arranges things as it pleases, for its own interests, certainly not for football,” Tebas concluded. “They don’t realise they are making irresponsible decisions that affect tens of thousands of jobs across the sport.”
Infantino is expected to secure a fourth term at FIFA’s March congress, though Tebas warned the governing body’s leadership faces growing unease beneath the surface of apparent stability.
