Dutch FA Calls for Summit on FIFA's Future Without Infantino

The Hague – AFP – The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) called on Sunday for an international summit in Amsterdam, excluding FIFA President Gianni Infantino, to discuss sweeping reforms to the governance of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).

In a statement, the Dutch federation said the global governing body needs “new leadership from 2027,” emphasizing that changing the president alone would not be enough.

The KNVB, which had supported the Swiss-Italian during his re-election in 2023, stated that its support at the time was based on commitments regarding good governance, human rights, sustainability, and international cooperation.

It also wants human rights, sustainability, the fight against racism and discrimination to become central pillars of FIFA’s decisions, and for the organization to reinvest a larger share of its revenues into the development of football worldwide.

To launch this discussion, the Dutch federation proposes hosting a summit in Amsterdam that would bring together national and continental confederations from around the world.

“As a founding member of FIFA, we have a special responsibility,” it added, expressing its desire to act as “a fully engaged stakeholder in the global football community.”

Its approach is summarized in two steps: “First, define the FIFA we want, then identify the leadership capable of delivering it.”

In response to a question from Agence France-Presse, UEFA stated that it did not wish to “comment on correspondence that was intended to remain confidential,” adding that it “maintains a productive and long-standing working relationship with the Royal Dutch Football Association, which we greatly respect.”