New Zealand has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino but the Oceania confederation has praised the “progress achieved” under the FIFA president.Both statements come after Infantino was forced to scrap his proposal to sell off stakes in FIFA competitions to private investment.The 56-year-old has already lost support from European football’s governing body UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Concacaf, the body overseeing football in North and Central America and the Caribbean.The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), of which New Zealand are a part, on Friday welcomed the withdrawal of Infantino’s FFE plan but stopped short of removing its support for the president and praised the “progress” of the last decade under his leadership. That statement came after a meeting of its executive committee in Fiji this week.On the same day, New Zealand Football (NZF), who were co-hosts for the women’s World Cup in 2023, said it had “formally withdrawn” its support for Infantino and called for an independent review into the development of his FFE proposal.
New Zealand Football's statement on the 2027 FIFA Presidential candidacy. pic.twitter.com/VjVVAZ0YVo
— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) August 14, 2026“After careful consideration, NZF has formed the view that decisions and actions within FIFA have contributed to a breakdown in trust and increased division within international football, and that an independent review is required to restore confidence and trust,” it read.
