Javier Tebas Slams Club World Cup, Increasing FIFA Pressure Amid Empty Seats Controversy

LaLiga president Javier Tebas has launched a strong attack on the Club World Cup, declaring it his ‘goal’ to eliminate the competition.

The Spanish football chief argues that the revamped tournament poses a threat to the ‘sustainability of football’ and vowed to ‘ensure there are no more Club World Cups’. The expanded competition commenced last weekend and has already received harsh criticism for adding to an already congested football calendar.

While FIFA president Gianni Infantino assured that there would be ‘full stadiums in America’ and expressed no worries regarding ticket sales, the tournament has yet to fully engage the American audience, with many seats left empty at various games. For instance, Chelsea’s opener against Los Angeles FC attracted only 22,137 fans to the 71,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, prompting the closure of the entire top tier due to lack of interest, despite general admission tickets selling for £38.

Speaking at a LaLiga event, Javier Tebas stated: ‘My goal is to ensure there are no more Club World Cups, that’s very clear.’ When asked if future editions could be improved, he insisted there were ‘no dates’ left in the football calendar and that the competition should simply be ‘eliminated’.

‘There are no dates,’ the 62-year-old stated. ‘There’s no need for yet another competition that diverts money to select clubs and players, and comes from somewhere. There’s no more money here; we have to maintain the ecosystem and eliminate it.’ He suggested keeping the tournament as it was before—a weekend event—arguing that it does not fit in terms of timing, economics, or sustainability of football.

Javier Tebas admitted to watching 25 minutes of Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Los Angeles, criticising the match for resembling ‘a preseason friendly’ and noting the lack of intensity.

Despite Tebas’ concerns, Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid seems to be approaching the tournament with seriousness, even paying Liverpool £10 million to finalize the transfer of Trent Alexander-Arnold in time for the competition. Recently, Javier Tebas expressed further discontent with the Club World Cup, labeling it ‘absurd’ and claiming that FIFA had not ‘consulted us about anything’.