Uli Hoeneß is being inducted into the German Soccer Hall of Fame. The tribute focuses on the Bayern legend’s successful playing career.
Special recognition for Uli Hoeneß: The honorary president of FC Bayern is among the newest inductees into the German Soccer Hall of Fame. The award primarily honors his achievements on the field—long before he left his mark on the Munich club as manager and president.
“It is a great honor to be inducted into the German Soccer Hall of Fame. I will never forget my time as a player,” the 74-year-old said in a statement from the DFB Foundation German Soccer Museum.
Alongside Hoeneß, Pierre Littbarski, Hennes Weisweiler, and Kerstin Stegemann will also be inducted in 2026. A 33-member jury makes the selection. With these four new inductees, the Hall of Fame now includes a total of 60 figures, including 41 men and 19 women.
As a player, Hoeneß won the most important titles
Today, Hoeneß is often associated with his decades-long tenure in Bayern’s leadership. His playing career, however, was also exceptionally successful. With the Munich club, he won the German championship three times, the DFB Cup once, and the European Cup three times in a row. He also won the Intercontinental Cup.
Hoeneß also achieved the greatest successes with the national team: in 1972, he became European champion, followed by the World Cup title in his home country in 1974. However, a serious knee injury cut his playing career short. At just 27 years old, he was forced to retire.
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He then began his second career at FC Bayern. As manager and later as president, he played a decisive role in shaping the club’s sporting and financial rise over the decades. In late summer, he was honored for this with the Sport BILD Award for his lifetime achievement.
In receiving this new honor, Hoeneß combines a look back at his successes with a personal commitment: “I am infinitely grateful to soccer for everything it has made possible for me, and it has always been important to me to give something back,” he said.
He has long held a permanent place in the history of FC Bayern. The club’s own Hall of Fame at the Bayern Museum also honors him as one of the club’s most significant figures. His induction into the German Soccer Hall of Fame now adds yet another distinction to his list of honors.