Javier Tebas, president of La Liga, has suggested that Gianni Infantino could have lost his role as FIFA president if the United States had defeated Belgium in the World Cup last-16. The match was overshadowed by controversy after Folarin Balogun's red card from the previous round was suspended for 12 months, following a phone call from US President Donald Trump to Infantino.
FIFA's disciplinary committee reversed the decision, allowing Balogun to play, but the co-hosts were comfortably beaten 4-1. Tebas told La Gazzetta dello Sport: 'The suspension of the American player's ban was absolutely serious. They were lucky that Belgium eliminated the USA, because otherwise a case could have arisen that might have cost Infantino his job.'
Although an official complaint was made to the International Olympic Committee alleging that Infantino had breached political neutrality, no sanctions were imposed. Tebas remains critical of Infantino's leadership, stating: 'In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up. There's no opposition candidate, nobody wants to stand just to lose.'
The FIFA president has also faced scrutiny over proposed plans to expand the World Cup to 64 teams. Tebas dismissed the idea, arguing: '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 warned that such expansion would damage domestic leagues and jobs.
Despite the controversy, Infantino remains in post, with the next World Cup scheduled for 2030. A 64-team tournament would increase the number of matches from 104 to 128, though Tebas believes FIFA should focus on protecting national football instead.
