Plans by FIFA to consider expanding the World Cup to a mammoth 64-team tournament for its centenary edition in 2030 have met with fierce opposition. Leading the backlash is La Liga president Javier Tebas, who has openly condemned the governing body’s proposal, labelling the prospective expansion as flatly “irresponsible”.
The 2030 World Cup promises to be a historic event, jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with celebratory centenary matches also scheduled in South America. However, internal discussions within FIFA regarding a dramatic increase in participating nations have sparked widespread concern across European domestic leagues.
Speaking in a candid interview with the renowned Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tebas delivered a scathing critique of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and his vision for the global game. Reflecting on Infantino’s prolonged tenure at the helm of football’s governing body, the Spanish administrator expressed deep frustration with current governance. He asserted that Infantino has led the organisation for a decade, yet the system sustaining his governance suffers from systemic flaws, adding that the FIFA chief’s era in football is drawing to its conclusion.
Tebas highlighted the growing friction between international tournaments and domestic competitions, warning of the severe economic and physical consequences of an increasingly congested football calendar. Expanding the World Cup beyond its newly approved 48-team format for 2026 would, in his view, inflict irreparable damage on domestic leagues that sustain the sport year-round.
No matter how prestigious the World Cup remains, football is far broader than a single quadrennial tournament. Organisers risk jeopardising an entire global industry for the sake of a competition lasting merely forty days. Domestic football serves as a vital economic engine, generating millions of jobs worldwide, whereas a bloated World Cup ultimate benefits only a minute fraction of professional players.
The rift highlights a deepening divide between FIFA’s global expansion plans and the practical realities faced by European leagues, where club executives fear player burnout and diluted domestic competition.