A statement from Spain’s La Liga has criticised FIFA for a complete disregard for the football community with its World Cup and Club World Cup plans.
The world governing body of football on Tuesday said the 2026 World Cup will feature 104 games, up from 64, and unveiled plans for a 32-team Club World Cup.
The La Liga statement added it will go to the World Leagues Forum (WLF) before taking the “appropriate next steps” in response to “FIFA’s continued malpractice of making unilateral decisions on the football calendar”.
Representatives of players union Fifpro and the Professional Footballers Association have also criticised FIFA’s plans.
The expanded 2026 World Cup, scheduled to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, will see the number of participating nations increase from 32 to 48.
FIFA had proposed a format of 16 groups of three but has now opted for 12 groups of four, followed by a new last-32 round.
The move expands the competition from its projected 80 matches to 104 and also means teaLA ms will have to play eight games to win the tournament, compared to seven at the 2022 World Cup.
FIFA also approved the access list for the 32-team Club World Cup, which will now take place every four years from June 2025.