The Dutch Football Association has called for an international summit in Amsterdam to discuss a deep reform of FIFA governance without inviting president Gianni Infantino.
The proposal comes as European football authorities step up pressure on the global governing body ahead of leadership elections scheduled in six months.
At the end of the week, European governing body UEFA submitted a request to three American courts to gather evidence. UEFA intends to use the material to pursue legal action against Infantino in the Swiss judicial system.
Loss of trust and governance concerns
In a lengthy statement released on Sunday, the Dutch Football Association, known as the KNVB, stated that FIFA requires new leadership starting in 2027. The federation emphasized that replacing the president alone would not resolve the broader structural issues within the organization.
The KNVB is the governing body for football in the Netherlands, while FIFA, based in Zurich, oversees association football globally. Infantino has held the presidency of the world governing body since 2016.
The Dutch federation had previously supported Infantino during his last re-election in 2023. At the time, that backing was based on explicit commitments regarding good governance, human rights, sustainability, and international cooperation.
The KNVB declared that it has now reached a point where its trust has been completely lost. The federation denounced what it described as an excessive concentration of power centered around the FIFA president.
Turning point and proposed reforms
According to the Dutch association, the decision-making process surrounding the FIFA Forward Enterprise project served as a major turning point in its relationship with Infantino. The controversial project has since been withdrawn.
The KNVB urged member associations to engage in a wider debate regarding the foundational structure of FIFA before addressing who should lead it. The federation stressed that international football must first determine what kind of governing body the sport needs before selecting a leader.
The federation advocated for a strong and credible organization equipped with strengthened governance, greater operational transparency, and independent oversight mechanisms. It called for human rights, environmental sustainability, and the fight against racism and discrimination to become central components of all official decisions.
Additionally, the KNVB stated that FIFA should reinvest a higher proportion of its revenue back into the development of global football. To initiate the reform process, the Dutch federation proposed hosting a conference in Amsterdam that would gather national federations and continental confederations from every continent.
The Dutch association summarized its strategy as a two-step approach: first defining the structure FIFA requires, and subsequently identifying the leadership capable of carrying out that vision. The rising opposition signals that the upcoming election in six months will be far more competitive than previously anticipated.
