The Dutch FA’s (KNVB) want more

Date: 3rd September 2026

September 3 – The Dutch FA’s (KNVB) withdrawal of support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino and call for FIFA reform was rooted in a much deeper concern for the future of international football and FIFA’s role, than just the proposed FIFA Football Enterprise (FFE) commercial rights sale.

While they were clear that the ‘InfantinoGate’ crisis means, as far as they are concerned, his only route is out of the world governing body, they also said the bigger global football picture must be considered and proposed an ‘International Summit on the Future of FIFA’ that they would be prepared to host in Amsterdam – where FIFA was headquartered for more than 20 years of its existence.

“For the KNVB, the debate we are having today is about much more than the future of one President. It is about restoring trust in FIFA and determining what kind of institution FIFA should become. About defining a vision for the future, for the generations to come,” said the KNVB letter.

The long held criticism from outside Europe – and it is a narrative fuelled by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and his staff – is that Europe is working only for Europe and takes no-one else into consideration.

Certainly Europe has fought its corner hard but to pretend it is all Europe’s fault (after all, that is where Infantino came from in the first instance), is a naïve and surface-level sound-bite that plays to a one-eyed and simple view of football’s global, and more integrated than FIFA would like you to believe, eco-system.

The reality is that more than 800 of the 1,200+ players at FIFA’s World Cup play their club football in Europe, earn their livelihoods in the European leagues and UEFA’s competitions, and play for their chosen countries in FIFA’s competition (a large proportion of them as ‘heritage’ qualified players) without pay.

The harsh reality is that without Europe’s club players and club-created global stars, playing pretty much free of charge, FIFA doesn’t have a World Cup that can generate $15 billion in revenue and global media attention. That isn’t Europe’s fault.

The KNVB’s position is reflected throughout Europe’s federations in that this balance shouldn’t affect FIFA’s competitions or global opportunity and that more needs to be done to stimulate and support international federations both structurally and competitively.

In that regard the KNVB does have an appreciation of what is required, not least because in Curacao (who played at the 2026 World Cup) and Aruba there are two FIFA recognized nations that are Dutch territories, while Suriname is a former Dutch territory that maintains very close links – particularly in football – with the Netherlands.

“We believe UEFA has an important role to play in helping to facilitate this discussion, not by developing a European answer for world football, but by contributing to a genuinely global dialogue about the future of FIFA,” says the KNVB letter.

Before the 2023 FIFA presidential election that returned Infantino unopposed, the KNVB called for “stronger governance, greater transparency, democratic decision-making, separation of powers and effective checks and balances”. It also called for more responsibility to be shown around human rights and sustainability, as well as “a constructive and genuine reciprocal relationship” between FIFA and its member associations.

“That hasn’t happened,” says the KNVB.

It argues that the future of international football and FIFA’s role “should be built around three pillars”; good governance, the social power of football, and international co-operation. It outlines its ‘vision’ below:

1.  Good governance

FIFA needs a modern governance model that reflects the scale, complexity and global responsibility of the organisation. A system which fits a modern sports organisation, ready for the future…

Concrete initiatives

• A redefined FIFA Presidency: strategic, representative and unifying, with no responsibility for the day-to-day management of FIFA.
• A stronger and more representative FIFA Council: providing strategic direction and effective supervision, while reflecting the diversity of world football across regions, gender, generations and different parts of the game, complemented by independent expertise where appropriate.
• An independent FIFA administration: led by a Secretary-General as chief executive, responsible for the day-to-day management of FIFA and accountable to the FIFA Council as a whole.
• Clear roles for Congress, Council and Committees: with clearly defined responsibilities and mandates, ensuring meaningful participation of Member Associations and effective scrutiny of FIFA’s decisions.
• Strong and independent oversight: providing transparency, accountability and effective checks and balances throughout the organisation.
• A FIFA Youth Council: giving the next generation a structural voice in shaping the future of the game.
• More transparency: Both the FIFA president and the FIFA General Secretary should participate in press conferences following congresses, major tournaments and FIFA Council meetings.

2.  The social power and responsibility of football

Football is more than a sport… FIFA should recognise, protect and invest in this unique social power. In many countries, national team football is one of the last domains where people bridge their differences, come together to celebrate and share in a common experience. Protecting this unique power should always take precedence over maximising commercial revenues.

Concrete initiatives

• A global Code of Football: defining the shared values and responsibilities that unite world football, developed with Member Associations and confederations across all regions.
• A global programme against racism and discrimination: setting common standards and combining education, prevention and consistent action.
• A global youth football commitment: expanding access to football for children and young people beyond elite talent development.
• A stronger global programme for women and girls: accelerating participation and representation in playing, coaching, refereeing, administration and leadership.
• A global initiative for a positive football culture: strengthening the position of referees and promoting responsible behaviour on and around the pitch, thereby inspiring more people around the world to participate in the beautiful game.

3.  International cooperation and future development of the game

FIFA exists to develop football. It can only fulfil that mission through genuine cooperation with its confederations and Member Associations.

Concrete initiatives

• 90% reinvestment ambition: working towards returning up to 90% of FIFA’s distributable revenues to the development of football, primarily through Member

Associations and global development programmes, while maintaining the reserves required to operate FIFA responsibly and sustainably.

• New global distribution model: ensuring that these resources are distributed transparently, objectively, predictably and on a long-term basis, according to clear development principles rather than individual or political relationships.
• Global knowledge-sharing platform: systematically connecting expertise, innovation and best practices across Member Associations and confederations.
• New intercontinental sporting formats: exploring ways to connect countries and continents, including through existing confederation competitions, without further overloading the international match calendar.
• Global football innovation programme: systematically testing ideas such as temporary dismissals, alternative restarts and effective playing time, and implementing innovations that demonstrably improve fairness, flow and respect.

The KNVB emphasizes that while Europe should have an active role in shaping FIFA’s future, “this cannot become a European project against the rest of the world. Our objective must be to bring the global football community together around a shared vision, based on dialogue, cooperation and respect for different perspectives and cultures.”

“Our loyalty, however, is ultimately to football and to the institutions that exist to serve it,” the KNVB says on the opening page of its letter. The question for football federations around the world is where does the FIFA president and his organisation’s real loyalty lie.

 

from Inside World Football

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Tags: FIFA, Football, World Cup