The Netherlands seeks to reform FIFA and demands that Gianni Infantino step down in 2027

The political dispute between the UEFA and Gianni Infantino continues to add chapters to its extensive novel. This Sunday, the Dutch Football Federation (KNVB) announced that it intends to organize an international summit in Amsterdam to discuss a comprehensive reform of the FIFA and proposed that the current president should not continue in office after 2027.

Through an official statement, the entity, a founding member of FIFA since 1904, stated that it has lost confidence in the Swiss leader and maintained that the issue is not only about replacing the person in the presidency but also about changing the power structure within the organization. "The KNVB no longer has confidence in the leadership of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. We believe that FIFA needs new leadership starting in 2027", it expressed.

The Dutch organization clarified that this break did not occur suddenly. The KNVB had supported Infantino in the last presidential elections and assured that, even when there were differences, it always maintained dialogue with FIFA's leadership. "That support was never unconditional", it noted, while recalling that it had already demanded progress in three areas: good governance, human rights and sustainability, and greater international cooperation.

The breaking point, according to the statement, was the episode surrounding the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which contemplated the participation of private investors in assets linked to FIFA competitions and was ultimately withdrawn. For the Dutch federation, abandoning the project was necessary, but it is not enough to regain lost trust.

The KNVB also questioned the concentration of power within the organization. "We observe excessive power surrounding the FIFA President and a lack of separation between him and the organization", it stated. In its view, the Presidency, the FIFA Council, the Congress, and the Secretary General should have clearly differentiated functions and responsibilities.

For this reason, the proposal includes a stronger and more representative FIFA Council, a more independent organization, greater transparency and external oversight, as well as institutional spaces for dissent. Among the mentioned ideas is even the creation of a FIFA Youth Council, which would allow for the permanent participation of new generations.

The second major priority is related to the social role of football. The KNVB believes that human rights and sustainability must be part of FIFA's decisions, both in the selection of World Cup hosts and in commercial matters. It also called for greater efforts against racism and discrimination, along with more investments in youth football and the development of women and girls.

In this line, the Dutch organization proposed the creation of a Global Football Code, based on principles such as equality, justice, integrity, respect, and sportsmanship. The idea aims to establish common values for federations, under a premise that the KNVB summarized emphatically: trade must serve football and not the other way around.

The third axis is economic. The federation aims for up to 90% of FIFA's available income to be reinvested in the development of football, with transparency and under clear rules. Among the possible destinations, it mentioned youth and women's football, training for coaches and referees, sports facilities, and strengthening national federations.

The proposal also does not limit itself to the distribution of resources. The KNVB proposed a global platform for sharing knowledge and experiences, along with greater opportunities for federations to test innovations and new rules.

The Dutch organization emphasized that its initiative does not intend to become a confrontation between Europe and the rest of the planet. "This should not be a European plan for the rest of the world. We want to develop this new direction together with the 211 member federations of FIFA and the confederations from all parts of the world", it stated.

To advance in this debate, the KNVB communicated that it has already shared its position and vision with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, and formally proposed to organize a International Summit on the Future of FIFA in Amsterdam, a city that the federation itself attributes a special place in the history of the organization.

The intention is for this meeting to take place before the presidential elections in March 2027, at the 77th FIFA Congress. For the KNVB, the process should not be limited to discussing who will replace Infantino. First, it considers it necessary to define what kind of FIFA football needs and only then determine who should lead it.

With its proposal, the Netherlands seeks to broaden the conflict: it not only questions Infantino but also aims to establish a global debate on how FIFA should be governed, for whom it should operate, and what role money, human rights, and the development of football should play in its future.