Overview
- La Liga president Javier Tebas publicly called for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign, saying on Tuesday that Infantino is “destroying the football industry” by expanding international competitions and overloading the calendar.
- Tebas singled out proposals to expand the World Cup to 64 teams and criticized operational changes at the 2026 tournament such as hydration breaks and an extended halftime as serving commercial interests rather than the sport.
- Infantino has declared his bid for a fourth term and reportedly retains the backing of more than 200 of FIFA’s 211 member associations, with the presidential vote scheduled for March 18, 2027 in Morocco, making an immediate leadership change unlikely.
- FIFA’s recent crypto and blockchain deals are now politically exposed: the federation named Kraken an official crypto partner in June and launched an Avalanche‑powered collectibles platform by mid‑July, and analysts say a leadership shift could prompt renegotiation or deprioritization of those agreements.
- The dispute risks tangible effects for domestic leagues, players, and commercial partners because fixture congestion can reduce league revenues and player availability, and a protracted governance fight could push leagues to pursue independent commercial and blockchain strategies.