La Liga have expressed their opposition after FIFA passed plans to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from the current format of 32. The changes are expected to take place in the 2026 tournament, taking place in Canada, the USA and Mexico.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, expected to be re-elected on Thursday, presented the changes to the world at a conference in Kigali, Rwanda.
“FIFA continues its malpractice of making unilateral decisions on the world football calendar, showing complete disregard for the importance of national championships, and the football community in general.”
Continuing on, it reads that these decisions are not only taken without consultation from other clubs, leagues and players. The changes are seen as damaging to all involved, and in the interest of the few at the top of football, rather than the many throughout the game.
“Therefore, with these measures, FIFA moves away from the objective of protecting the interests of the football industry, where an environment of balance between national and international football must be fostered for the benefit of football in general.”
The statement goes on to detail the fact that La Liga already has an open court case against FIFA in the Court of Arbitration for Sport, regarding similar matters to do with the Club World Cup, and the unilateral decisions FIFA takes.
It certainly seems the fixture congestion problems facing the world of football on the whole are coming to a head sooner rather than later. With a number of competitions increasing the number of games, the demands on all sectors of football are becoming unsustainable.
