‘He has to go’: German FA vice‑chief blasts Infantino over Trump prize and Balogun ban

German Football Association vice‑chief Hans-Joachim Watzke has called for Fifa President Gianni Infantino to resign "no ifs or buts". Speaking at a Berlin AI festival, Watzke outlined three key reasons for his stance.

Firstly, Watzke criticised Infantino for creating the Fifa Peace Prize in 2025, which was awarded to US President Donald Trump. Watzke argued that the prize's creation and announcement were arbitrary, stating, "You can’t just invent something on your own and then announce it, it's madness."

Secondly, Watzke slammed the handling of American forward Folarin Balogun's red card during this year's World Cup. Balogun was sent off in the round of 32 but received an automatic one-match suspension, which was later overturned after a phone call from Trump to Infantino. Watzke declared, "It can’t be that when someone gets sent off, the head of state calls the Fifa president, and, remarkably, the whole thing is immediately overturned. That’s madness."

Finally, Watzke denounced a project announced by Infantino on July 28, which was cancelled four days later. The plan involved creating a commercial company open to private investors, a development that came as a shock to DFB officials. Watzke described the project as "completely insane" and noted that Infantino's vice-presidents were unaware of its existence.

DFB president Bernd Neuendorf also expressed concerns about the current relationship with Infantino, asserting that trust has been "completely shattered" under his leadership. With Infantino as the sole candidate for the upcoming Fifa presidency election scheduled for March 18, 2027, the call for his resignation grows louder.