Hoeneß attacks Infantino over Trump‑linked ban and World Cup plans

In an exclusive RTL/Sky-Interview, Bayern-Ehrenpräsident Uli Hoeneß launched a blistering attack on FIFA‑Präsident Gianni Infantino, saying the affair no longer belongs to his Sport. He singled out the lifted Sperre for US‑Stürmer Folarin Balogun as a key flashpoint.

Hoeneß, the 74‑year‑old FCB‑Ehrenpräsident, also voiced a clear Meinung on the recent Klopp‑Deal at the DFB, adding that his interview continues to generate Schlagzeilen across the football world.

World Cup ban controversy

The Fall involving Balogun’s Rotsperre was reversed after a phone call between Infantino and US‑Präsident Donald Trump, a Vorgänge Hoeneß described as a Tiefpunkt of Infantinos Amtszeit. “If you let a man like Donald Trump decide or influence whether a player is banned or not, that is the beginning of the end, of the competition,” he said during the RTL/Sky-Interview.

Hoeneß argued that such external Einfluss contradicts the Grundgedanke of Sport. “If we accept something like that, then it is not my Sport. That has been an impossibility for me,” the Bayern‑Patron explained, emphasizing his personal disappointment.

FIFA expansion and governance

He also criticised FIFA’s expansion plans, calling the WM with 48 Mannschaften already problematic and warning that a further increase to 64 Teams would head in the wrong direction. “We have already provided our Spieler for six weeks now and then maybe it will be longer. That is unbelievable,” he added.

Hoeneß stressed that the World Cup must remain an Elite‑Turnier, warning that commercial interests could otherwise erode its sporting value.

Looking ahead, Hoeneß sees difficulties for Infantino’s political future. The FIFA‑Präsident intends to run for another term in spring 2027, but Hoeneß urged him to approach the UEFA for a solution, noting that “after everything I hear, it will be very tight for Infantino if he runs.”

The exclusive RT/Sky-Interview of Uli Hoeneß therefore continues to dominate headlines, reinforcing his stance that the current Vorkommnissen threaten the integrity of the game.