New Zealand has broken with Oceania’s football leadership and become the latest nation to withdraw support for Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
Infantino has already lost backing from three regional bodies — Uefa, the AFC and Concacaf — following his shelved plan to sell 20% of the World Cup’s commercial rights to private investors.
By contrast, Caf and Conmebol have endorsed the 56-year-old to secure a fourth term at the Fifa Congress in March.
New Zealand joins several individual associations — including England, Wales, Norway, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland — in saying they will not support his re-election.
“New Zealand Football is also seeking an independent review of the process used to develop the Fifa Forward Enterprise Scheme (FFE),” the federation said. “After careful consideration, NZF believes decisions and actions within Fifa have led to a breakdown of trust and greater division in the global game. An independent review is needed to restore confidence. This is an opportunity for all member associations to push for stronger governance, accountability and transparency.”
New Zealand is the only OFC nation to have qualified for the 2026 World Cup. Within Oceania, New Caledonia has reaffirmed its support for Infantino.
Elsewhere, Concacaf members Mexico, Grenada and St Kitts and Nevis have defied their confederation’s stance by backing him, while Argentina is aligned with Conmebol’s support.
NZF chief executive Andrew Pragnell said the call for an independent review is intended to avoid “an in-house quick wash-over,” adding that similar calls from other confederations could help rebuild trust.
The Oceania Football Confederation welcomed Fifa’s decision to withdraw the FFE proposal and to review the issues around it, but did not declare a position on Infantino’s candidacy. OFC said it recognizes the progress made in developing football in Oceania under Fifa’s leadership over the past decade and encouraged using the review to identify and implement any needed changes.