The football federation of New Zealand has withdrawn its support for embattled Fifa president Gianni Infantino, diverging from the stance of the broader Oceania Football Confederation (OFC).
New Zealand Football (NZF), the national governing body, has stated it will not endorse the current president, whose global backing is dwindling due to his controversial proposal to sell a portion of the World Cup to private investors as he plans to seek re-election next year.
Advertisement
Support for Infantino has already been withdrawn by Uefa, as well as the North and Central American confederation Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Several individual associations, including England, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland, have also confirmed their non-support for Infantino.
Interestingly, New Zealand remains the only member of the OFC, which consists of 11 primarily island nations in the Pacific, to withdraw its backing.
In contrast, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) and South American football governing body Conmebol have expressed their support for Infantino to secure a fourth term at the upcoming Fifa Congress in March.
A statement from the NZF indicated, “New Zealand Football (NZF) has officially announced that it is withdrawing its support for Gianni Infantino’s candidature as Fifa President for the 2027 Fifa Congress.”
Advertisement
“Furthermore, NZF is advocating for an independent review of the Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme’s development process.”
“Following careful deliberation, NZF has determined that decisions and actions taken by Fifa have led to a compromise of trust and heightened divisions within global football, signifying the need for an independent review to restore confidence.”
“NZF perceives this moment as an opportunity for all Fifa member associations to promote stronger governance, accountability, and transparency, which are essential for upholding confidence in the management of global football.”
This announcement follows the OFC’s cautious approach, as they refrained from condemning Infantino’s leadership but welcomed Fifa’s decision to retract the sell-off plan.
Advertisement
“The OFC Executive Committee acknowledges Fifa’s decision to withdraw the FFE proposal and its commitment to reviewing the project-related issues,” their statement read.
“The OFC recognizes the progress made over the last decade in enhancing football development in Oceania under Fifa’s guidance and encourages Fifa to utilize this review as a chance to implement necessary changes.”