LaLiga president slams expanded FIFA Club World Cup as "completely absurd"

LaLiga president Javier Tebas has once again criticized FIFA's upcoming Club World Cup, calling the newly expanded tournament "completely absurd" during an interview on Monday with Cadena Cope radio.

The 32-team competition is scheduled to run from June 14 to July 13, 2025, in the United States, featuring a revamped format intended to mirror the structure of the men's World Cup. Tebas, however, voiced strong opposition to both its timing and broader implications.

“It’s completely absurd,” he said. “The issue isn’t just the obvious physical strain on the players. This Club World Cup model disrupts the entire ecosystem of domestic leagues, especially in Europe.”

Spain will have two representatives in the tournament—Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. But Tebas warned that their deep runs into the later stages, including quarterfinals set for July 4–5, could severely impact LaLiga’s own calendar, with the 2025–26 domestic season slated to begin on August 16–17.

“There’s already controversy surrounding when Real Madrid and Atlético will kick off LaLiga,” he explained. “This disrupts our regular football calendar and harms us in the medium term.”

Tebas noted that decisions about potentially delaying the start of the league for those clubs would be made later, depending on how far they progress. Still, he voiced frustration over a recurring pattern: “We can’t keep adjusting our schedule for competitions we don’t support. FIFA didn’t consult us on the dates—or anything, really. Their actions are damaging Spanish football.”

The LaLiga chief has been consistently vocal in his disapproval of FIFA's unilateral decisions, including the rescheduling of the 2022 World Cup to winter and the expansion of the men’s World Cup to 48 teams starting in 2026.