The Spanish Football League believes that FIFA has shown its complete disregard for the importance of local tournaments after changing the Club World Cup system to 32 teams, and increasing the number of World Cup matches to 104.
Before the General Assembly in Rwanda, FIFA announced on Tuesday that the number of 2026 World Cup matches would be increased to 104 instead of 64, in light of the increase in the number of teams to 48.
FIFA approved the holding of the Club World Cup every four years, with the participation of 32 teams, starting from June 2025.
La Liga said in a statement: FIFA continues to misbehave by making unilateral decisions on the football schedule, ignoring the importance of local leagues, and the football community in general.
And she continued: FIFA ignores the local damage to leagues around the world as a result of these decisions. The leagues were not consulted about any change, especially the Club World Cup.
She added: These decisions do not take into account the sporting and economic impact on the local leagues, clubs and players by increasing the already crowded schedule. FIFA looks at a small group of clubs and players.
The Spanish League indicated that the League Council, the body that represents professional leagues, will study FIFA’s decisions and decide the appropriate next steps.
In December, the Council of Leagues criticized the establishment of the Club World Cup with the participation of 32 teams, and said that it would have serious consequences for the football economy and the health of the players.
The FIFA Council approved the changes. The council includes 37 members, including FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and 28 national federations. UEFA is a member of the FIFA Council.
