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LaLiga's Javier Tebas urges FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign

sportsJul 21, 202664429

La Liga president Javier Tebas has called for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to step down, saying the world governing body is "destroying the football industry" and that "his time is up." Tebas told La Gazzetta dello Sport he opposed mandatory World Cup hydration breaks, the final's lengthy half-time interval, the prospect of a 64-team summer tournament and FIFA's decision to lift a suspension on United States striker Folarin Balogun after intervention from US President Donald Trump. Tebas said FIFA's election system is "rotten at its core," that Infantino nevertheless retains the support of national federations, and that "there's no opposition candidate, nobody wants to stand just to lose." He warned the Balogun episode and its handling could have cost Infantino his job but that Belgium eliminating the USA allowed the matter to be buried. Tebas made the comments while in the United States for the 2026 World Cup final. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has also publicly joined calls for Infantino to quit.

Mark Chadbourn
@chadbourn.bsky.social

Trump wants FIFA President Gianni Infantino to become the next UN secretary-general, the NYP reports. He believes Infantino's global reputation and experience leading FIFA make him a strong candidate to replace António Guterres.

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