Sports
La Liga Boss Wants FIFA President To Step Down
La Liga president Javier Tebas has called for Fifa president Gianni Infantino to step down, claiming the world governing body is “destroying the football industry”.
In an interview with Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, external, the head of the Spanish league also criticised World Cup hydration breaks, the final’s lengthy half-time interval, the postponement of a suspension for United States striker Folarin Balogun, and the future possibility of a 64-team summer tournament.
When asked if Infantino should quit, Tebas said: “In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up.”
However, he stated that the 56-year-old has the support of national federations, and claimed Fifa’s election system is “rotten at its core”.
“There’s no opposition candidate, nobody wants to stand just to lose,” Tebas said.
“He shouldn’t stay, but the current state of affairs means he won’t leave.”
The head of Spain’s top flight was in the US to see his country win the 2026 World Cup.
“These past few days here in America, I’ve heard many people who are against Infantino, who disagree with what he’s doing,” Tebas said.
“They say it, but then they do nothing. I don’t know what’s worse, the silence or the complicity, because those who stay silent are perfectly aware of the damage football is suffering.”
Infantino is expected to be re-elected for a fourth term at Fifa’s March congress, although Tebas believes Infantino could have been brought down as a consequence of his involvement in the case around Balogun.
The 25-year-old US player escaped a suspension for his side’s last-16 tie with Belgium following an intervention from US President Donald Trump.
“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,” Tebas said.
“Since Belgium won, they managed to bury the matter. But these things are just the tip of the iceberg.”
European football’s governing body Uefa criticised Fifa’s decision at the time, calling it “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable”, and the decision was a factor in the organisation’s president Aleksander Ceferin not attending the World Cup final.
Infantino opened the door to a 64-team global tournament during this year’s event, but Tebas argued that “not everything can revolve around the World Cup”.
“Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense. The football industry isn’t just the World Cup,” Tebas said.
“It’s the national competitions that sustain this sport. They are destroying the football industry, which generates tens of thousands of jobs, for an event that lasts 40 days and involves a minority of players.
“Are the best players there? Clearly, but they are also in our leagues. We need fewer international matches and more protection for national football, at all levels. They don’t realise they are making irresponsible decisions.”
Fifa brought in mandatory three-minute hydration breaks for the World Cup, regardless of conditions, for all matches played at stadiums in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The governing body said they were brought in as a commitment to player welfare, but critics have pointed to broadcasters using the breaks as a way to cash in with commercials.
Meanwhile pop music giants Madonna, BTS, Shakira and Justin Bieber were among the acts to perform in the World Cup final half-time show, which extended the usual 15-minute half-time break to 27 minutes 22 seconds.
“Fifa arranges things as it pleases, for what it wants, for its own interests, certainly not for football,” said Tebas. “So, if they need a 27-minute half-time break, they’ll have it.
“Hydration breaks are a lie. We have them in La Liga, but only when it’s genuinely hot.
“Here, the pitches in Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta had air conditioning; I had to put on a jumper in the stands. It was a lie, a break for advertising.
“It’s proof that we are governed by an institution that does and decides what it wants, when it wants, following only its own interests without considering the rest of football. And in many cases, it acts to the detriment of football.”
Nigeria’s Super Falcons, Falconets duo Christiana Uzoma and Janet Akekoromowei as well as Flamingos star Oluwakemi Adegbuyi have been nominated in the women’s category of the 2026 CAF Awards.
CAF released the shortlists on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, ahead of the awards ceremony scheduled for Monday, December 7, 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria.
The Super Falcons were nominated for the Women’s National Team of the Year despite a disappointing 2026 WAFCON campaign where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual champions Cameroon (1-0) and failed to qualify for the 2027 World Cup.
Uzoma, 17, was nominated in the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year category after starring for Edo Queens in the NWFL and WAFU-B Women’s Champions League qualifiers and captained the Falconets at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland after regular captain Joy Igbokwe missed out on a visa.
Her impressive performances for both club and country earned her a first senior Super Falcons call-up for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Qualifiers.
She faces competition from Cameroon’s Michaely Bihina (Golden Glove winner at WAFCON 2026), Morocco’s Khadija Er-Rmichi, South Africa’s Andile Dlamini and Ghana’s Cynthia Konlan.
The Women’s Young Player of the Year category saw Nigeria get double nominations with Adegbuyi and Akekoromowei making the cut in the 10-player shortlist.
FC Robo 16-year-old Adegbuyi won the 2025/26 NWFL Player of the Season and Super Six MVP after scoring 11 goals.
She was also MVP at the WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup in Yamoussoukro and recently released from the Super Falcons camp to join the Flamingos for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
Akekoromowei, 18, of SL Benfica and Falconets goal-scoring sensation who now got called up for Super Falcons Olympic qualifiers vs Comoros.
The winners will be decided by votes from CAF Technical Committee, media and captains/coaches.
Andoni Iraola believes his Liverpool side are in for a difficult test when they face Fenerbahce in the Champions League this evening. (Wednesday)
The Reds have made a 100% start to their league-phase campaign, defeating Atletico Madrid, LASK and Villarreal to sit third in the standings ahead of MD4.
However, Liverpool have not won any of their six away games against Turkish teams in the European Cup/Champions League, losing five of them (D1), and the last four in a row.
Liverpool have never lost five consecutive away games against sides from one nation in UEFA’s flagship club competition, but Iraola knows a stern test awaits his side.
“It won’t be easy, you talk about statistics, especially English teams playing here,” said Iraola.
“They have very good players and a very good squad, they know how to play in this competition. We have to start strong in the game.
“They have very good players in midfield, they have a very good technical level. If we allow them a lot of time on the ball and don’t press them properly, we will suffer.
“We need to not allow them to win confidence as they have experienced players who know how to play in this competition.”
Fener and Liverpool will meet for the first time in this match – the Reds have only won four of their 11 games against Turkish sides in the European Cup/Champions League (D2 L5), although the most recent victory was a 4-0 triumph over Galatasaray in March this year.
Following their draw against Slavia Prague last time out (2-2), Fener are now on their longest-ever winless run in the Champions League (10 games – D4 L6).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fulfilled his $100,000 reward pledge to the Super Falcons following the team’s historic triumph at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations where Nigeria clinched a record-extending 10th continental title.
According to a statement from the National Sports Commission ,NSC), the players have started receiving payments of approximately ₦140 million each, representing the naira equivalent of the President’s promised reward.
The payment comes months after the Super Falcons staged a remarkable comeback to defeat hosts Morocco 3-2 in the final played in July 2025.
Having gone two goals down, the Super Falcons rallied in the second half to secure a memorable victory and reclaim the African crown.
Captain Rasheedat Ajibade has expressed the team’s appreciation to President Tinubu for honouring his commitment, noting that the gesture recognises the players’ hard work and achievement on the continental stage.
The reward is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to recognise and encourage Nigerian athletes following outstanding performances in international competitions.
In a similar gesture, President Tinubu also fulfilled his $100,000 reward pledge to members of D’Tigress after their victory at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship, where the Nigerian women’s basketball team extended its dominance by winning a fifth consecutive title.
The latest development marks another financial recognition of the Super Falcons’ achievement and their place in the history of African women’s football.
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