La Liga Chief Wants Club World Cup Scrapped

Javier Tebas has never been one to shy away from controversy, and now the La Liga president has picked his latest battle: FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup. With the tournament now stretched to a 32-team format and running deep into July, Tebas is calling for its complete removal from the global football calendar.

Speaking candidly during a seminar in Vitoria, Tebas let it all out. He described the competition as harmful, not just to Spain’s top flight, but to football as a whole. “The Club World Cup has created a competitiveness problem,” he said, highlighting the huge amount of money involved. “They can earn €140 million, double Alavés’ budget, and then ask for time to prepare.”

His frustration is rooted in what he sees as a complete disregard for domestic competitions. Clubs like Real Madrid, who have qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup and could play until as late as July 13 if they reach the final, are left with almost no time to rest before La Liga kicks off on the weekend of August 16-17. That gives them just over 30 days, barely enough to recover, let alone prepare. Under current AFE (Spanish players’ union) regulations, footballers are supposed to receive a minimum of 30 days of rest per calendar year, including a stretch of 21 consecutive days after the season ends.

A Ticking Time Bomb Set By La Liga Chiefs

The impact on the Spanish football calendar is already being felt. Atletico Madrid’s early exit from the Club World Cup group stage in the USA has meant their preseason will face only a limited disruption. But for Real Madrid, the situation is different. With the La Liga fixture list already confirmed, Los Blancos will open the 2025/26 season at home to Osasuna, and there’s no room for any leeway.

Tebas has made it clear that he won’t allow clubs to delay the start of the league. “I will do everything possible to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” he said, referring to the chaos caused by the current scheduling. His stance is about protecting broadcasting contracts and keeping the league’s ecosystem stable.

He sees FIFA’s decision to make the Club World Cup into a month-long tournament as a top-down move, imposed without any discussion or agreement with domestic leagues. And in his view, the consequences are damaging everyone, not just the elite clubs.

Player Welfare and the Financial Divide

The La Liga head is not alone in his criticism. Across Europe, clubs and players are starting to push back. There is concern about how packed the football calendar has become and the toll it’s taking on the players. From La Liga to Ligue 1, the discontent is growing louder.

Tebas is particularly incensed by what he calls the hypocrisy of the current system. Clubs involved in the Club World Cup, he argues, are chasing massive paydays, €140 million in potential earnings, while simultaneously demanding schedule changes and extra recovery time. Smaller clubs, like Alavés, simply can’t compete with that kind of financial power.

When those elite clubs then turn around and ask for special allowances, it only widens the gap further. His frustration also touches on the broader competitiveness of the league. A league where one or two teams can prepare properly, while others are still catching their breath from global tournaments, simply isn’t fair.

It’s not just about Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid, it’s about the health of Spanish football as a whole. Tebas’ message to FIFA is simple: scrap the Club World Cup in its current format or risk further disruption to domestic football. He is not interested in bending rules for the giants of Spanish football, even if they’re making tremendous amounts of money. For now, La Liga will stick to its August 16–17 start, and Tebas is determined to ensure the integrity of the competition is protected, whether FIFA likes it or not.