By Tim Parsons-
The Dutch football association has called for Gianni Infantino(pictured) to be replaced as FIFA president from 2027, delivering one of the strongest challenges yet to the leadership of world football’s governing body, and arguing that changing the person at the top will not be enough to address what it describes as deeper problems within the organisation.
The Royal Netherlands Football Association, known as the KNVB, issued a strongly worded statement on Sunday declaring that it had lost confidence in Infantino and calling for a fundamental overhaul of FIFA’s governance structure. The Dutch association, one of FIFA’s founding members since the organisation was established in 1904, said the future of world football should be shaped through a broad international discussion before a new president is selected.
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“The KNVB no longer has confidence in the leadership of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. We believe FIFA needs new leadership from 2027 onwards,” the association said. It immediately added that replacing Infantino alone would not solve the problems it identified, arguing that “the way FIFA is governed must change as well”.
The intervention comes at a politically sensitive moment for FIFA, with Infantino expected to seek another term as president in March. His position has faced growing scrutiny following an abandoned proposal involving the sale of stakes in FIFA commercial events, including the World Cup, to private equity investors. Regional football bodies have reportedly considered whether to pursue a vote of no confidence, adding to the pressure surrounding FIFA’s leadership.
The KNVB made clear that its criticism represented a change in its relationship with Infantino rather than a rejection of its previous support for him. The Dutch association backed the Swiss-Italian administrator in the most recent FIFA presidential election, but stressed that its support had never been unconditional.
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Rather than simply calling for a new individual at the top of FIFA, the KNVB wants to convene an “International Summit on the Future of FIFA” in Amsterdam. It has invited football associations and confederations from around the world to take part in discussions aimed at determining what the organisation should look like before the question of its next president is addressed.
The Dutch association argues that too much authority is concentrated in the office of the FIFA president and that there is not enough separation between the president and the organisation’s administrative machinery. It wants a redistribution of responsibilities, with FIFA’s secretary-general taking a stronger role in running the organisation while the president focuses primarily on representing FIFA internationally.
The KNVB also wants FIFA Congress to take greater responsibility for major decisions, under the governance and supervision of the FIFA Council. The proposed changes are part of a broader programme built around three priorities: stronger governance and checks and balances, placing human rights and sustainability more firmly at the centre of FIFA decision-making, and improving cooperation between football organisations around the world.
Financial distribution is another central element of the Dutch proposal. The KNVB has called for FIFA to work towards reinvesting as much as 90 per cent of its distributable revenue into football development. The association said such a model should benefit football across the world rather than simply reflect the interests of the wealthiest federations.
The call for greater international involvement comes as FIFA itself faces questions about the distribution of resources between its member associations. Infantino said last week that FIFA had a responsibility to narrow the financial gap between its wealthiest members and countries with far fewer resources.
The KNVB, however, warned against allowing the reform process to become a European initiative imposed on the rest of world football. “This should not be a European plan for the rest of the world,” the Dutch association said, stressing that it wanted to work with FIFA’s 211 member associations and the confederations representing football across different regions.
The dispute also comes against a backdrop of wider tensions between European football authorities and FIFA. The KNVB is part of UEFA, European football’s governing confederation, which has sought permission from a US federal court to obtain testimony and documents from FIFA entities in Florida for use in a planned criminal complaint in Switzerland concerning Infantino. FIFA has not responded to a request for comment on the KNVB’s statement or its proposed Amsterdam summit.
The Dutch intervention nevertheless places the future direction of FIFA firmly on the agenda ahead of the next presidential election. The association is effectively arguing that the debate should not be reduced to whether Infantino remains in office, but should instead address how power is exercised within the organisation, how major decisions are made and how FIFA’s considerable revenues are distributed across the global game.
Infantino has led FIFA since 2016 and was re-elected unopposed in 2023. His current term runs until 2027, meaning the next presidential election will determine the organisation’s leadership for the period beyond that date. The KNVB is now calling for that transition to be accompanied by a fundamental restructuring of FIFA itself.
The proposed Amsterdam summit is expected to become an important forum for football associations seeking to influence the direction of the organisation before the next leadership contest. For the KNVB, the central issue is no longer simply who should occupy FIFA’s presidency, but whether the governing model itself needs to change.
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