The Dutch football association KNVB has officially declared a vote of no confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino and demanded an international summit be held to discuss the future governance of the global governing body of football.
The Dutch are arguing that the 2027 presidential election cannot be about “who will lead FIFA” but rather “what kind of FIFA do we want?.” The KNVB proposed in their statement to host such an international summit “that will draw up a bold new direction for FIFA in co-operation with all 211 member associations and six confederations”.
The latest call adds significant pressure on the FIFA president, already under criticism, especially in Europe after FIFA collapsed a widely contested deal that caused a rift with UEFA’s European football body.
The KNVB claimed that the incident eroded trust in the organisation and revealed a “significant concentration of power in the hands of the FIFA President”. The KNVB stressed that “we believe there needs to be new leadership for FIFA from 2027. However, a new president is not enough. The current style of leadership must also be a thing of the past”.
The federation said FIFA’s new direction must focus on “stronger FIFA governance,” “wider usage of the social impact of football,” and “more substantial investment in football development worldwide”.
Infantino has so far made no indication he plans to step down and remains eligible to stand in the next FIFA presidential election in 2027.
