La Liga president Javier Tebas calls for Infantino's resignation after FIFA withdraws privatization plan

Call for resignation

La Liga president Javier Tebas posted a statement on social media on Saturday, 1 August 2026, calling for Gianni Infantino to step down as FIFA president. The demand came hours after FIFA withdrew a proposal to privatize its competitions, a plan known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). Tebas acknowledged the withdrawal as "good news" but insisted it did not resolve deeper governance problems.

Infantino must not continue. That FIFA has withdrawn its proposal to privatize its competitions is good news. But it would be a serious mistake to think that the governance problem has been solved.

The withdrawn proposal

The FIFA Forward Enterprise project aimed to sell commercial rights to World Cups and other FIFA tournaments. It was shelved after strong opposition from several confederations, including UEFA, Concacaf, and the AFC, which created a deep division within world football. Tebas argued that the retreat should not be treated as a resolution. "The confederations, associations, leagues, players... should not settle for this withdrawal and consider the matter closed. The issue is much deeper," he wrote.

Grievances listed

Tebas enumerated a series of episodes he said reflect structural problems at FIFA. He pointed to the withdrawal of a red card after what he described as political intervention, an apparent reference to an incident involving a player named Balogun. He also highlighted an open investigation in the United States Congress that has requested Infantino's appearance for "very serious conduct." Additionally, Tebas cited the withdrawal of charges in historic FIFA corruption cases, what he called "scandalous" ticket prices for the World Cup, and unilateral decisions on the international match calendar, new competitions, and formats adopted "without a true process of dialogue and agreement with the parties involved."

Have we already forgotten the withdrawal of the red card after political intervention? The open investigation in the United States Congress, which has requested the appearance of Gianni Infantino for very serious conduct? The withdrawal of charges in historic FIFA corruption cases? The scandalous prices of World Cup tickets? The unilateral decisions on the international calendar, the new competitions and the formats, adopted without a true process of dialogue and agreement with the parties involved?

Governance model critique

For Tebas, the root cause is not a single proposal but a governance model that concentrates power, reduces checks and balances, and sidelines those directly affected by FIFA's decisions. He argued that the withdrawal of the privatization plan does not erase the pattern of behaviour.

The problem was never a single proposal. The problem is a governance model that concentrates power, reduces counterweights and marginalizes those who are directly affected by its decisions.

What Tebas demands

Tebas called for a new leadership at FIFA that would modernize governance, restore institutional credibility, and make future decisions through agreement with stakeholders, evaluating sporting, economic, and social impact beforehand rather than imposing measures unilaterally. He concluded that withdrawing one proposal does not erase everything that has happened, calling it "only the tip of the iceberg."

Gianni Infantino must not continue at the head of FIFA. World football needs a new leadership that modernizes its governance, recovers institutional credibility and builds future decisions by agreeing them with the actors involved, evaluating beforehand their sporting, economic and social impact, instead of imposing them unilaterally.