Uli Hoeness has launched a fierce attack on FIFA president Gianni Infantino, insisting European football holds enough power to block any World Cup reforms it opposes and warning that tournaments without Europe would be “worth nothing”.
The Bayern Munich honorary president was speaking to German outlet Sport1 as criticism grows across Europe over Infantino’s proposals for the future of FIFA competitions, including plans to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights to private investors.
“Personally, I think Europeans do not realise how strong they really are,” Hoeness said. “Any tournament without Europe is worth nothing.”
He argued that a united front from Europe’s leading football bodies would be enough to derail any project pushed by the world governing body that does not meet with their approval.
“If Europe stands together and works in harmony, Mr Infantino will not be able to push this plan through,” Hoeness added.
Sarcastic swipe at World Cup vision
Hoeness rounded off his comments with a barbed remark aimed directly at Infantino’s global expansion ambitions, which critics say risk diluting the sporting value of FIFA’s flagship competition.
“If he (Infantino) wants to watch Fiji against Cape Verde at the World Cup… let him,” Hoeness said, in a pointed jibe at the prospect of further expanding the tournament and reshaping its commercial model.
His comments reflect deep unease within European football over the direction of FIFA’s strategy, with national associations and major clubs increasingly vocal about their concerns.
European backlash to commercial rights plan
At the heart of the current dispute is a proposal to sell a share of World Cup commercial rights to private-sector investors, a move Infantino and FIFA allies argue would unlock significant new funding.
Across Europe, however, the plan has sparked a broad wave of opposition, with critics warning that such a deal could undermine the independence of the competition and shift control towards external financial interests.
The project has triggered calls from within the European game to preserve the World Cup’s status as a sporting event run in the interests of football rather than as a purely financial asset.
Opponents of the proposal fear that involving private investment funds could prioritise commercial return over competitive integrity, scheduling and the welfare of players, clubs and domestic leagues.
Power struggle over the game’s future
Hoeness’s intervention underlines a wider power struggle between FIFA and Europe’s most influential football stakeholders over who shapes the sport’s future and on what terms.
While FIFA continues to explore new formats and revenue models, Europe’s leading figures are pressing for safeguards to protect the existing balance of competitions and prevent what they see as excessive commercialisation.
Hoeness, one of German football’s most prominent voices, has long argued that Europe’s top leagues and associations are central to the success and prestige of global tournaments.
His latest remarks reinforce the message that, in his view, any attempt by FIFA to push through contested reforms without European backing risks not only political confrontation but also, in practical terms, a World Cup that many in the continent may be unwilling to support.
