“He has a football heart”
Rummenigge praises FIFA President Infantino
February 24, 2026 – 1:20 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The Bayern grandees Rummenigge and Hoeneß rarely disagree – but when it comes to the FIFA boss, opinions differ widely.
Former Bayern boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge praised Fifa President Gianni Infantino. “First of all, I think: He has a football heart. Not every football official has that – I’ve noticed from my own experience,” said the record champions’ supervisory board in an interview with the world association.
The occasion is the upcoming ten-year anniversary of Infantino, who was elected FIFA President on February 26, 2016.
Rummenigge emphasizes: “He has a passion for football. He’s not just interested in what he’s always accused of, the income side, but he’s really interested in football.”
And further: “I have always valued Gianni. Even if he was angry with me or I was angry with him: we always found a fair, serious solution in the end.”
Rummenigge’s opinion differs significantly from that of his long-time partner Uli Hoeneß. He made the comments about a week ago in an “Bild” interview about the awarding of the newly created FIFA Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump. “I can’t do anything with this award ceremony, it seemed out of place.” He says to Infantino: “I expect him to always put football first and treat everything else as secondary.”
Rummenigge, on the other hand, also found positive words for the new structure of the Club World Cup: “I would say that it is a different level of quality and I am convinced that it will gradually be accepted by the public and the general public,” said the 70-year-old.
Last year, the first edition of the new Club World Cup took place in the USA with 32 teams, and Chelsea FC ultimately won the cup. “Now it’s really a Club World Cup. Whoever wins it is the best team in the world,” said Rummenigge. For the ex-world-class striker, the reform is “almost a global sensation”. The next edition is planned for 2029.
