Tebas says Spain should "rethink" its role in the 2030 World Cup if Infantino stays at FIFA

Javier Tebas held nothing back. At the World Football Summit taking place at La Nave in Madrid, LaLiga's president put forward an idea that would have seemed unthinkable just a few months ago: that Spain consider reviewing its participation in the 2030 World Cup, a tournament it will co-host with Morocco and Portugal, if Gianni Infantino remains in charge at FIFA.

His words left no room for interpretation. "At the very least we need to rethink our situation with the World Cup. I'm not sure whether to pull out or not, but rethinking everything we're doing with the World Cup, yes," Tebas told reporters after his appearance on the event's opening day.

Why now and not before? The LaLiga chief links his warning directly to Infantino's reelection bid, set for March. According to Tebas, if the Swiss-Italian official secures another term in the post he has held since 2016, and FIFA ultimately decides that Morocco will host the tournament's final, Spain is left with almost no chance. "The odds of Spain getting that final are minimal," he warned.

"It's not credible"

LaLiga's president went beyond the question of hosting rights and took direct aim at Infantino himself. For Tebas, it would be "a disgrace" if the FIFA chief remained in his post following the March vote, and he offered a very specific example to explain why he doubts the official's credibility.

Is it credible that someone calls to get a red card overturned, and it gets overturned, at a World Cup with national teams fighting for everything that's at stake? It's just not credible, and he's been doing this on plenty of other matters too. So no, it's not credible.Javier Tebas

Interestingly, the controversy over Infantino's attempt to privatize part of the World Cup's commercial rights, something that in any other context would have generated headlines on its own, was pushed into the background. Tebas was blunt: it's "the least" of his concerns in the whole affair. What worries him more is what he describes as a system of patronage, in which many federations depend financially on FIFA, something he believes skews any vote.

Asked whether there is real room for an alternative candidate to challenge Infantino, LaLiga's president preferred not to commit himself too far. He noted that November 18 is the deadline to put forward a candidate, but made clear he is not involved in that process. "I'm staying out of that mess. Better that way. If I backed someone, my endorsement would probably cost them votes," he explained, suggesting that his public support could do a potential candidate more harm than good.

Abde's shirt and Ceuta

Tebas's appearance wasn't limited to FIFA matters. He was also asked about the controversy sparked by Ez Abde, the Morocco international who holds Spanish nationality and plays for Betis, after he and his teammates wore a shirt showing support for the people of Ceuta during Monday's match against Villarreal.

Tebas placed the episode within a broader and more delicate context. "It's collateral damage from what's happening with the invasion in Ceuta. Because this isn't an immigration issue, and this makes that clear. It's an invasion issue because it's been an attack involving everyone. Plenty of Moroccan citizens claim that Ceuta isn't Spanish. It's collateral damage from everything that's going on," LaLiga's president said.

Between the World Cup host decision, Infantino's credibility, and the diplomatic tension now spilling into soccer, Tebas made it clear he has no intention of staying quiet on any front.