La Liga president Javier Tebas has told FIFA to abandon their newly-expanded Club World Cup.
Tebas said it was his “goal” to ensure that there were no more editions of the month-long, 32-team version of the tournament, which is currently being staged in the U.S.
Spanish top flight clubs Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are both involved in the tournament, which Tebas has called on FIFA to “eliminate” from the football calendar.
“My goal is to ensure there are no more Club World Cups, that’s very clear,” said Tebas, speaking on Tuesday at an event marking the 10-year anniversary of the centralisation of La Liga’s audiovisual rights.
“There’s no need for another competition that moves money to a sector of clubs and players,” Tebas said. “There’s no more money here; we have to maintain the ecosystem and eliminate this.”
The 62-year-old has long been at odds with Real president Florentino Perez over a multitude of issues, most notably the Super League project that was strongly promoted by Madrid.
Tebas said his issues with Perez were “not personal” but added: “He is from a completely different industry model. He defends a Super League that would destroy the national leagues.”
The Spanish league president said that “piracy” and “new competitions” were the two main threats facing his organisation.
In April 2024, Tebas insisted that he wanted to stage La Liga matches abroad by 2025-26, saying that a match in the U.S. would “strengthen our position in the North American market”.
(FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
