LA LIGA PRESIDENT BRANDS INFANTINO'S FIFA DEFENCE 'PATHETIC '

President Donald Trump (left) and Fifa President Gianni Infantino watch confetti fall at the conclusion of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, July 19, 2026

GIANNI INFANTINO’S extraordinary Instagram post accusing Fifa’s critics of spreading “hate” has been dismissed as “pathetic” by La Liga president Javier Tebas.

The Fifa president’s 15-page message came before confirmation on Monday that Democrats in the US Congress were investigating him amid what they described as “mounting evidence of potential corruption and a possible quid pro quo between Fifa and the Trump administration.”

Infantino’s social media post had advised those “spending their time and energy hating us” to “meditate, pray, or watch a football match,” drawing a scathing response from Tebas.

“Gianni Infantino has written a pathetic message on his Instagram account and on the accounts of @FIFAcom,” Tebas wrote on his own X account.

“No-one disputes that football is emotion and unity. But transparency, good governance, and accountability are never hate; they are an obligation.

“Strong institutions do not discredit those who ask questions; they answer the questions. And a reflection Gianni: when a leader dedicates an entire message to disqualifying those who exercise legitimate scrutiny, it’s inevitable to wonder… why precisely now?

“Is there something that explains such a defensive tone? Is something happening that we don’t know about?”

The US house judiciary committee has called Infantino before it to examine what it describes as “Fifa’s sustained campaign to secure special favours from President Trump – including the dismissal of high-profile corruption cases involving hundreds of millions of dollars tied to Fifa – while American consumers were gouged by exorbitant World Cup ticket prices.”

The letter cited the introduction of the “hilariously fake” Fifa Peace Prize which was awarded to President Trump last December, the renting of office space at Trump Tower as examples of acts designed “to induce President Trump and his administration to make decisions in Fifa’s favour.”

The letter requests documents and information be sent to the Committee by 10pm BST on August 9.

Fifa has been contacted for comment.

- Morning Star

LA LIGA PRESIDENT ISSUES STATEMENT ABOUT FIFA BOSS GIANNI INFANTINO AFTER 2026 WORLDNCUP RANT

 La Liga president Javier Tebas has issued a stinging statement in response to Gianni Infantino’s 2026 World Cup rant.

Infantino has been accused of going ‘full Donald Trump’ with an unexpected statement posted on FIFA’s official website and across 15 slides on his Instagram account.

The under-fire FIFA president blasted critics of the 2026 World Cup, claiming they’ve been “consumed by hate” and urging them to “meditate, pray or watch a football match” in order to “find peace”.

Infantino claimed this summer’s tournament in North America featured “no violence, no incidents, 100% safety and security” - ignoring the fact four supporters tragically died during World Cup celebrations in Mexico City.

He defended the treatment of Iran’s national football team, issues over visas, and even the hugely controversial Folarin Balogun red card situation.

“Indeed, ‘arguable’ referees' decisions or ‘strange’ disciplinary rulings such as for instance potentially mistaken red or yellow cards or subsequent decisions not to ban players in certain situations are routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide,” Infantino wrote. “It's curious that the same countries employing these practices are the ones criticising.”

La Liga President Responds to Infantino's World Cup Statement

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

Rather than convince people that the 2026 World Cup was a tournament without any downsides, Infantino’s statement appears to have had the opposite effect.

The “lame-duck FIFA president” now finds himself under even more scrutiny, with La Liga president Tebas tweeting:

"Today Gianni Infantino has written a pathetic message on his Instagram account and on the accounts of FIFA.

"No one disputes that football is emotion and unity. But transparency, good governance, and accountability are never hate; they are an obligation. Strong institutions do not discredit those who ask questions; they answer the questions.

"And a reflection Gianni: when a leader dedicates an entire message to disqualifying those who exercise legitimate scrutiny, it's inevitable to wonder... why precisely now? Is there something that explains such a defensive tone? Is something happening that we don't know about?"

Infantino Called to Appear Before Congress Over Trump Ties

Reuters/Mark J Rebilas

Meanwhile, Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House judiciary committee, has launched an investigation into Infantino, seeking documents that would detail the ties between FIFA and US President Donald Trump and his administration, per The Guardian.

“[Y]our election as FIFA president was supposed to mark a red-card break from a decades-long culture of corruption and scandals that dressed down world soccer’s reputation,” Raskin wrote to Infantino in the letter.

“Instead, at the start of your tenure, you dismantled FIFA’s ethical guardrails and disabled the organization’s ethics committee by pushing out most of its members. This lack of transparency and oversight has since paved the way for you to ingratiate yourself with the Trump administration via tactics that a New York University law professor and one of your former ethics committeemen described as ‘legal bribery’.”

Trump, who has close ties with Infantino, has reportedly lined up a potential new job for the under-pressure FIFA president.

- Rob Swan

LA LIGA CHIEF ACCUSES FIFA OF 'DESTROYING FOOTBALL INDUSTRY', CALLS FOR INFANTINO TO QUIT

Javier Tebas questions decision to postpone one-match ban given to US striker Folarin Balogun

US President Donald Trump and Fifa president Gianni Infantino stand under confetti as players of Spain celebrate with the World Cup trophy after winning the 2026 final against Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday. (Will Oliver/EPA/BackpagePix)

La Liga president Javier Tebas said Fifa president Gianni Infantino should resign, accusing the governing body of “destroying the football industry” by expanding international competitions at the expense of domestic leagues and clubs.

Tebas has repeatedly criticised Fifa over fixture congestion and plans to further enlarge the World Cup.

In an interview with Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, when Tebas was asked if Infantino should quit, he said: “In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up.”

Infantino said in April that he would seek re-election for a fourth term as Fifa president, with the vote for the 2027-2031 cycle scheduled to take place in Morocco on March 18 next year.

Asked about growing criticism of Infantino’s leadership, Tebas said the Fifa president retained strong support among national federations despite concerns within the game.

“He shouldn’t stay, but the current state of affairs means he won’t leave,” Tebas said. “There’s no opposition candidate; no one wants to run to lose. This is the system, and it’s a system that’s flawed from the ground up.

“I’ve heard a lot of people against Infantino, who don’t agree with what he’s doing. They say it, but then they don’t do anything.”

Tebas also questioned Fifa’s decision to postpone the one-match ban given to US striker Folarin Balogun following a red card during the World Cup. The decision was made after the intervention of US President Donald Trump. Belgium beat the US 4-1 in the last 16.

“The suspension of the American player’s ban is an extremely serious matter. They were lucky that Belgium eliminated the US, because otherwise a case could have arisen that might have cost Infantino his job.

“Since Belgium won, they managed to bury the matter. But these things are just the tip of the iceberg.”

His comments come amid growing tensions within soccer’s governing structures.

They’re destroying the football industry, the one that generates tens of thousands of jobs for an event that lasts 40 days and only a minority of players attends.

— Javier Tebas

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin did not attend Sunday’s World Cup final following a series of disagreements between European soccer’s governing body and Fifa over disciplinary procedures, refereeing logistics and match operations, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

Tebas also criticised proposals to expand the men’s World Cup to 64 teams, after CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez renewed calls for Fifa to enlarge the centenary edition of the tournament in 2030.

Infantino has previously acknowledged that a 64-team format could be considered in the future.

Tebas said a further increase in the number of participating nations would come at the expense of domestic competitions and the wider football industry.

“Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense,” Tebas said.

“The football industry isn’t just the World Cup, which is the most important event. But not everything can revolve around the World Cup. It’s the national competitions that sustain this sport.

“They’re destroying the football industry, the one that generates tens of thousands of jobs for an event that lasts 40 days and only a minority of players attends.”

-- Karan Prashant Saxena, Reuters 

VILLARREAL VS. SEVILLA | LA LIGA HIGHLIGHTS

 

JOAO CANCELO BECOMES FIRST FOOTBALLER EVER TO ACHIEVE INCREDIBLE FEAT AFTER BARCELONA'S LA LIGA TITLE SUCCESS

Joao Cancelo has written his name into the history books following Barcelona’s clinical 2-0 victory over Real Madrid to secure the La Liga title. While the Blaugrana celebrated domestic dominance at the Camp Nou, the Portuguese defender reached a milestone that has eluded the greatest icons of the game.

A historic Clasico triumph

The Blaugrana secured the Spanish top-flight crown after a win against their bitter rivals in Sunday night's El Clasico at the Camp Nou. In doing so, they have achieved a historic first by winning La Liga as a result of a direct match against Los Blancos. Barcelona only needed to avoid defeat against Alvaro Arbeloa's side, as they led Real by 11 points going into the 35th game of the campaign.

Hansi Flick’s men delivered the goods in style, recording their 11th successive league victory on a night of double celebration. A stunning free-kick from Marcus Rashford - the first such goal in a Clasico since Lionel Messi in 2012 - was followed by a Ferran Torres strike to confirm Barca's 29th league crown and leave their rivals in turmoil.

Getty Images Sport 

Cancelo stands alone in the history books

For ex-Manchester City defender Cancelo, who won six major honours under Pep Guardiola, he has now finally won the league title that evaded him during his previous loan spell at Barca in the 2023-24 season. Brought back on loan from Saudi side Al Hilal in January, Cancelo, who appeared as a starter in last night's match, has been key in the club's stunning form in 2026, chipping in with one goal and three assists from 13 La Liga matches.

Deployed on both sides of defence, the 31-year-old has now become the first footballer to win league titles in four of Europe's 'Top Five' divisions. Having won the Primeira Liga with Benfica in 2014, the Serie A title with Juventus was the Portugal international's first 'Top Five' league championship. He then scooped three Premier League crowns while at the Etihad Stadium, before lifting the Bundesliga title while on loan at Bayern Munich. Now, with a La Liga medal secured, only France's Ligue 1 remains for him to complete the set.

Outperforming the legends

A host of legendary players have won league championships in three of the 'Top Five' leagues, but none could reach the fourth. David Beckham had the opportunity to become the first person to achieve the incredible feat; he was successful in England, Spain and France, but failed to win the Serie A title across two loan spells at AC Milan. Similarly, Cristiano Ronaldo triumphed in England, Spain and Italy, but never added a fourth major league to his haul.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic also came up trumps in Spain, Italy and France, and had the chance to create history when he joined Manchester United in 2016. However, he finished sixth in his only full season in the Premier League, though he did win the Europa League, League Cup and Community Shield. Other notable players to win titles in three major countries include Thierry Henry, Kingsley Coman, Dani Alves, Arturo Vidal, Maxwell, Sami Khedira and Claude Makelele.

Getty Images Sport 

What lies ahead for the history-maker?

Despite his loan deal from Al Hilal proving incredibly successful, questions remain regarding Cancelo's long-term future. It remains to be seen what the future holds for Cancelo come the summer, and whether Barcelona press ahead with another loan deal, look to turn his temporary stay into a permanent switch or if he returns to the Middle East.

There is, of course, the tantalising prospect of completing the "Top Five" set. With titles in England, Spain, Italy, and Germany secured, only France's Ligue 1 remains. Should Cancelo decide to leave the Camp Nou this summer, a move to a French powerhouse could provide the platform for the ultimate clean sweep of Europe's major championships.

- Donny Afroni

LAMINE YAMAL IS ABSENT FROM BARCELONA'S SQUAD LIST FOR THE CLASICO AGAINST REAL MADRID

Barcelona team (Photo/Archive)

Madrid, Spain – Barcelona’s coaching staff has announced the squad list in preparation for facing Real Madrid this Sunday evening, in the 35th round of the Spanish League.

Barcelona will host their rivals Real Madrid at the Camp Nou, in a highly anticipated match that could play a decisive role in the race for the La Liga title this season.

The Catalan team’s roster witnessed the continued absence of Lamine Yamal, due to the injury he recently suffered, thus continuing his absence from the Blaugrana matches.

Barcelona’s squad list is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Juan Garcia, Wojciech Szczesny, Eder Aller.

Defense: Joao Cancelo, Alejandro Balde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Coparsi, Gerard Martin, Jules Koundé, Eric Garcia, Xavi Espart.

Midfielders: Xavi, Pedri, Firmin Lopez, Marc Casado, Dani Olmo, Frenkie de Jong, Marc Bernal.

Attackers: Ferran Torres, Robert Lewandowski, Rafinha, Marcus Rashford, Rooney Bardji.

- Ahmed Khairy

REAL MADRID MEME

 

BARCELONA FORWARD SAYS EL CLASICO ''THE LEAST OF PRESSURE' FOR PLAYERS

Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images

With the La Liga title race reaching its decisive stage, all eyes are now on the upcoming El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Camp Nou.

The pressure surrounding the fixture could hardly be bigger, as Barcelona know that avoiding defeat would place them in complete control of the title race, while Real Madrid simply cannot afford to drop points if they want to keep their hopes alive.

Ahead of the massive encounter, Barcelona forward Ferran Torres spoke to AS about the emotions, pressure, and excitement that come with playing in one of football’s biggest matches.

Despite the importance of the occasion, the Spaniard admitted that players often feel less pressure during games like El Clasico because these are the matches they dream of playing throughout their careers.

“This kind of match is the one every player dreams of playing. It’s actually the opposite. That’s when there’s the least pressure. 

“It’s fun. That’s when you most want to play, when you’re most motivated,” he said.

A decent record vs Real Madrid

Ferran already has significant experience against Madrid since joining Barcelona. 

Ferran Torres is not too worried about El Clasico. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

The Spanish forward has faced Los Blancos 14 times for the Catalan side and has regularly managed to hurt their defence, registering three goals and four assists in those matches.

One of his most memorable moments came during last season’s Copa del Rey final when he scored after getting past both Antonio Rudiger and Thibaut Courtois in a decisive attacking move.

Looking back at that goal, Ferran explained that footballers barely have time to process what is happening in moments like that because instinct takes over completely.

“When the game ended, I barely even remembered the play because you don’t have time to process it. 

“During the play, it was all about seeing the opening, and you don’t think about who’s in front of you or behind you – you just focus on scoring. 

“When you see the ball go in… honestly, it’s an incredible feeling,” he concluded.

- Swapnil

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ALVARO ARBELOA FUMES AT REAL MADRID PLAYER AFTER GETAFE LOSS - 'IT’S UNACCEPTABLE'

Alvaro Arbeloa fumes at Real Madrid player after Getafe loss – ‘It’s unacceptable’

Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa defended his side’s performance against Getafe after their 1-0 defeat on Monday night, and while he admitted that his side can play better, felt they had done enough to win the game. On the other hand, he also had some stinging words for Franco Mastantuono.

The defeat means that the gap to Barcelona at the summit of La Liga remains at four points, a gap that in theory Los Blancos could overhaul. Yet many Madridistas were left wondering whether overhauling their most bitter rivals was possible given the way their side is playing. Arbeloa was clear that the title was still in play.

“No, now we have no other objective than to win the 36 points that remain at stake. This is Real Madrid and nobody gives up here. It’s a gap that we think we can close.”

Arbeloa: ‘We had clearer chances than Getafe’

Despite the feeling that Getafe had carried out their gameplan to perfection, as Jose Bordalas noted, Arbeloa believed his side had done enough for the three points.

“We had clearer chances than Getafe. We had Vinicius’s chance, Rudiger’s chance, Rodrygo’s chance… We knew the kind of game we were going to play. Nothing happened that we didn’t know was going to happen, and that’s how I see the game.”

“Saying that ‘it’s impossible for us to play well, that’s putting words in my mouth that I have not said. It’s true that we had chances to score; it’s also true that we can play better. I can’t fault my players for their effort. The responsibility for improving our play is mine. If anyone is responsible for the defeat, it’s me.”

Arbeloa also had criticism for the officiating, despite Antonio Rudiger escaping a red card.

Image via Sport / Europa Press

“Today we struggled against an opponent that defended very well. We needed to be more aggressive in certain situations. We always tend to rely on Vinicius for the easy option, but we need to be a constant threat on both flanks. There were also many interruptions. The referee allowed a game where the focus was on not playing. But I have no criticism of Getafe because they do what they’re allowed to do.”

Arbeloa angry with Mastanuono for sending off

Late on, Mastantuono was sent off for dissent, meaning he will be absent for Real Madrid’s trip to face Celta Vigo on Friday. Bookings for Alvaro Carreras and Dean Huijsen will also keep them out of the trip, but Arbeloa felt Mastantuono’s was avoidable.

“It’s unacceptable. The Mastantuono thing cannot happen. Huijsen and Carreras’ yellow cards are part of the game. But we’re going to have three very important players out in Vigo.”

Arguments for improvement

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Arbeloa had the following reasons for optimism.

“We have great players, others who are going to recover, and we have that objective of continuing to improve and that we can do better. I understand the criticism and the perspective that exists, but we played a good enough game to beat Getafe. We didn’t know how to take advantage of the chances we had.”

Los Blancos face Celta Vigo at 21:00 CEST at Balaidos this Friday, with a second chance to reduce the gap to Barcelona to one point, ahead of the Catalans facing Athletic Club. Following that, Real Madrid will take on Manchester City in the Champions League Round of 16.

- Ruairidh Barlow

CRISTIANO RONALDO BUYS 25 PERCENT STAKE IN SPANISH CLUB ALMERIA

The Al Nassr and Portugal forward has acquired the stake through the subsidiary CR7 Sports and the investment comes as part of the club ownership consortium led by SMC Group

Cristiano Ronaldo has bought a 25 percent share in Almeria, the Spanish club have announced. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire.

Cristiano Ronaldo has bought a 25 percent share in Almeria, the Spanish club have announced.

The Al Nassr and Portugal forward has acquired the stake through the subsidiary CR7 Sports and the investment comes as part of the club ownership consortium led by SMC Group.

Almeria are currently third in the Segunda Division and are two points away from leaders Racing in the bid for promotion to LaLiga.

Ronaldo said in a statement on the club's X account: "It has been a long-held ambition of mine to contribute to football, beyond just on the pitch. UD Almeria is a Spanish club with strong foundations and clear potential for growth.

Official statement:

Cristiano Ronaldo invests in UD Almería as part of the club ownership consortium led by SMC Group pic.twitter.com/0lk92FUjPH

— UD Almería (@UDAlmeria_Eng)

February 26, 2026

"I look forward to working alongside the leadership team to support the next phase of the club's growth."

President of Almeria Mohamed Al Khereiji added: "We are very pleased that Cristiano has chosen to invest in our club.

"He is regarded as the greatest to ever play the game, he knows Spanish football very well and he understands the potential of what we are building here both in terms of the team and the academy."

- PA

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FC BARCELONA NEWS: 14 DECEMBER 2025; BARÇA BEAT OSASUNA TO WIN SEVENTH LA LIGA GAME IN A ROW

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There are still two matches left to round off 2025, one in the Champions League and one in the Copa de la Reina, but this Saturday Barça Femení brought their Liga F schedule for the year to a close with a win in Palamós, where Badalona Women play their home games. The home side held their own in the first half but ultimately surrendered the points as Pajor, Pina, Carla Julià, Vicky and Brugts scored the goals.

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