New Zealand has opted to part ways with Oceania’s football governing body, joining a growing list of nations that have withdrawn their support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Infantino has lost backing from three regional confederations: UEFA (Europe), the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and Concacaf (North and Central America and the Caribbean), following his failed attempt to sell 20% of the World Cup’s commercial rights to private investors.
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While the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and South America’s governing body, Conmebol, have expressed their support for the 56-year-old in his bid for a fourth presidential term at the upcoming FIFA Congress in March, New Zealand has joined several individual member nations, including England, Wales, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland, in stating that they will not support Infantino’s re-election.
“New Zealand Football is pursuing an independent review of the processes involved in developing the FIFA Forward Enterprise Scheme (FFE),” the organization stated.
“After careful consideration, NZF has concluded that decisions and actions taken by FIFA have led to a loss of trust and increased divisions within international football, warranting an independent review to restore confidence and trust.”
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“NZF views this as a pivotal moment for all FIFA member associations to demand stronger governance, accountability, and transparency, crucial for maintaining confidence in the administration of the global game.”
New Zealand is the only member of the OFC to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
NZF chief executive Andrew Pragnell remarked, “We are advocating for an independent review because we want to avoid a superficial internal process.” He emphasized that the independent review is also a call from other confederations to help restore some trust.
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While the Oceania Football Confederation expressed its support for FIFA’s decision to retract the proposal, it did not explicitly withdraw its support for Infantino. “The OFC Executive Committee appreciates FIFA’s decision to withdraw the FFE proposal and its commitment to reviewing the associated issues,” the statement outlined.
“The OFC acknowledges the progress made over the past decade in advancing football development in Oceania under FIFA’s leadership and encourages FIFA to utilize the review as an opportunity to identify and implement any necessary changes.”