Javier Tebas, the president of Spain's La Liga, has confirmed that Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, was under threat of losing his position during the 2026 World Cup.
Tebas was speaking against the backdrop of the major controversy that preceded the last-16 clash between the United States and Belgium. FIFA's disciplinary committee had suspended the 12-month ban imposed on United States forward Folarin Balogun, clearing him to feature despite his sending-off in the round-of-32 tie against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
US President Donald Trump intervened through a phone call with Infantino, before FIFA's disciplinary committee reversed its decision and handed the player back to coach Mauricio Pochettino.
None of it mattered. The United States lost 4-1 to Belgium, ending their run in the tournament.
Speaking to the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tebas said: "Suspending the American player's punishment was an extremely dangerous matter. They were lucky that Belgium knocked out the United States, because had the opposite happened, an issue would have arisen that might have cost Infantino his position."
The pressure on Infantino grew further when an official complaint landed at the International Olympic Committee, accusing him of violating the principle of political neutrality through his dealings with Trump.
The FIFA president, who has also sat on the International Olympic Committee for six years, will not face any sanctions on the back of that complaint.
Tebas believes the pressure is mounting all the same, and reckons Infantino's time at the head of FIFA is nearing its end.
He said: "In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up. There is no opposing candidate, because nobody wants to stand just to lose. He should not continue, but the current situation means that he will not leave."
64 teams?
The La Liga president also took aim at FIFA's proposal to increase the number of teams at the 2030 World Cup to 64, an idea Infantino and FIFA vice-president Alejandro Dominguez have shown a willingness to study.
Tebas explained: "Increasing the number of teams makes no sense. The football industry is not limited to the World Cup, but relies primarily on domestic competitions that maintain the continuity of the game. They are destroying an industry that provides tens of thousands of jobs for the sake of a tournament that lasts only 40 days and features a limited number of players."
He continued: "The best players are at the World Cup, but they also play in our leagues. We need fewer international matches and more protection for domestic football at all levels. Unfortunately, they do not realise that they are making irresponsible decisions."
A 64-team system would create 16 groups of four, scrap the qualification of third-placed sides and retain the round of 32.
The 2026 edition already delivered a record 104 matches. Approve the expansion, and that figure climbs to 128.