Tebas demands Infantino quit as FIFA president
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- Javier Tebas told La Gazzetta dello Sport that FIFA president Gianni Infantino's "time is up," claiming Fifa's election system is "rotten at its core" because "no opposition candidate" is willing to challenge him
- FIFA's mandatory three-minute hydration breaks at the 2026 World Cup were dismissed by Tebas as "a lie" and "a break for advertising," noting that stadiums in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Atlanta were air-conditioned
- The 2026 World Cup final half-time break was extended from 15 minutes to 27 minutes 22 seconds to accommodate performances by Madonna, BTS, Shakira, and Justin Bieber
- Folarin Balogun's suspended ban was lifted after US President Donald Trump's intervention ahead of the USA's last-16 tie with Belgium; Tebas said Belgium's elimination of the USA let FIFA "bury the matter"
- UEFA called FIFA's Balogun decision "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable," and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin skipped the World Cup final partly over the controversy
- Tebas opposed expanding the World Cup to 64 teams, arguing "not everything can revolve around the World Cup" and that national leagues sustain an industry generating tens of thousands of jobs
- Infantino, 56, is expected to be re-elected for a fourth term at FIFA's March congress despite the public criticism
Why it matters: Tebas's broadside is striking but largely symbolic — he himself concedes Infantino will be re-elected at FIFA's March congress because "nobody wants to stand just to lose" in a system he calls "rotten at its core." With no challenger and confederation backing intact, the public criticism crystallizes European leagues' frustration with FIFA's expanding World Cup footprint without threatening Infantino's grip on power.
