KNVB withdraws support for Infantino and proposes Amsterdam FIFA summit

The KNVB has declared that it no longer has confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino and believes world football’s governing body needs new leadership from 2027. The Dutch association stressed that replacing the president alone would not be sufficient, arguing that FIFA’s wider governance structure must also change.

The association has proposed hosting an international summit in Amsterdam to discuss FIFA’s future with national federations and confederations. It has presented the idea to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, but the meeting has not yet been confirmed. Infantino would not be invited. KNVB secretary-general Gijs de Jong said he represents “the past” rather than the organisation’s future, according to Voetbalzone.

Among the KNVB’s proposals are a stronger and more representative FIFA Council, greater independence within the organisation and a youth council giving younger generations a permanent voice. It also wants clearer accountability, transparency and oversight, alongside a firmer separation between the president and FIFA’s administration. The withdrawn FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal was described by the Dutch association as the point at which its confidence was finally lost.

The KNVB also wants human rights and sustainability embedded in FIFA decisions, including World Cup hosting and commercial choices. It has called for greater action against racism and discrimination, more investment in youth and women’s football, and an ambition to reinvest as much as 90 per cent of FIFA’s available income into the game. FIFA’s next presidential election is scheduled for March 2027, while prospective challengers to Infantino have until 18 November to come forward.