Dutch Football Association Calls for Gianni Infantino’s Departure and Comprehensive FIFA Reform by 2027

The KNVB extends invitations to football associations and confederations worldwide for a summit aimed at reshaping FIFA’s governance structure.

Published On 30 Aug 202630 Aug 2026

FIFA president Gianni Infantino should be succeeded by new leadership by 2027, accompanied by a fundamental restructuring of football’s global governing body, according to the Dutch football association, known as the KNVB.

The KNVB, one of FIFA’s original founding members established in 1904, released a strongly worded statement on Sunday, expressing its loss of confidence in Infantino and advocating for sweeping institutional reform rather than a mere change in top leadership.

The Dutch federation has expressed its intention to organize an international summit in Amsterdam and has extended invitations to football associations and confederations across the globe to take part.

Infantino is anticipated to seek re-election to the FIFA presidency in March, though regional football confederations have contemplated initiating a vote of no confidence following his failed attempt to divest a stake in FIFA properties, including the World Cup, to private equity firms.

“The KNVB no longer has confidence in the leadership of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. We believe FIFA requires new leadership from 2027 onwards,” the association declared in its statement.

“However, simply appointing a new president is insufficient. The entire governance framework of FIFA must undergo transformation.”

“The KNVB backed Infantino during his most recent presidential election. That backing was never without conditions.”

The KNVB put forward a proposal for an “International Summit on the Future of FIFA,” stressing that participants should first establish “what kind of FIFA we want” before determining who should lead the organization.

“We observe excessive power concentrated around the FIFA president and inadequate separation between the presidency and the FIFA administration,” the statement continued.

FIFA declined to provide a response to Al Jazeera regarding the KNVB’s statement and its proposed summit plans.

Calls to revamp FIFA’s power structure

Among the KNVB’s central demands was a comprehensive overhaul of the organization’s decision-making processes. The association urged that FIFA’s congress assume authority over major decisions, operating under the governance and oversight of its council.

It advocated for a redistribution of authority, proposing that the secretary-general assume operational leadership while the president serves primarily as FIFA’s global representative.

The Dutch federation identified three core reform priorities: enhanced governance featuring robust checks and balances, the integration of human rights and sustainability considerations into all decision-making processes, and strengthened international collaboration.

Additionally, the KNVB is urging FIFA to commit to reinvesting up to 90 percent of its distributable revenue into football development initiatives.

Infantino remarked the previous week that it falls to FIFA to bridge the divide between its financially prosperous members and those operating with limited resources.

“This should not be perceived as a European agenda imposed on the rest of the world,” the KNVB emphasized.

“Our objective is to develop this new trajectory collectively with FIFA’s 211 member associations and the confederations representing all regions worldwide.”

The KNVB maintains membership within UEFA, which has sought authorization from a United States federal court to procure testimony and documentation from FIFA entities located in Florida for use in an impending criminal complaint filed in Switzerland against Infantino.

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