New Zealand has departed from the position taken by Oceania’s football authority, becoming the latest country to withhold its backing for Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
Infantino no longer has the support of three regional bodies—Europe’s Uefa, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and Concacaf, which represents North America, Central America, and the Caribbean—following his abandoned proposal to sell private investors a 20% share of the World Cup’s commercial rights.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) and South America’s governing organisation, Conmebol, continue to support the 56-year-old as he seeks a fourth term at the Fifa Congress in March.
New Zealand joins several member countries, including England, Wales, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland, in confirming that it will not endorse Infantino’s campaign for re-election.
In a statement, New Zealand Football said it is also requesting an independent examination of the process used to create the Fifa Forward Enterprise Scheme (FFE).
NZF said that, after reviewing the situation carefully, it concluded that certain decisions and conduct within Fifa had weakened trust and deepened divisions across international football. It added that an external review is necessary to rebuild confidence.
The organisation believes this is an important moment for Fifa’s member associations to demand improved governance, greater accountability, and increased transparency, describing all three as essential to maintaining faith in the management of world football.
New Zealand was the only one of the OFC’s 11 members to secure a place at the 2026 Fifa World Cup. New Caledonia, another member of the regional body, has renewed its support for Infantino.
Concacaf members Mexico, Grenada, and St Kitts and Nevis have rejected their confederation’s position by supporting Infantino, while Argentina has followed Conmebol in continuing to back him.
NZF chief executive Andrew Pragnell said the organisation had specifically requested an independent investigation because it did not want the issue handled through a brief internal review.
He added that other regional confederations had made similar requests and that an external assessment could help repair lost trust.
The Oceania Football Confederation welcomed Fifa’s decision to abandon the proposal but did not explicitly confirm whether it would continue supporting Infantino.
Its executive committee said it supported both the withdrawal of the FFE plan and Fifa’s pledge to examine the concerns associated with the project.
The OFC also acknowledged the advances made in developing football throughout Oceania during the past decade under Fifa’s leadership. It urged the organisation to use the review to determine and introduce any changes that may be required.
What do you feel about this post?
Like
Love
Happy
Haha
Sad
