New Zealand Football has become the latest national association to publicly distance itself from FIFA president Gianni Infantino's bid for a fourth term, breaking with the stance of its regional body, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC).
The move places New Zealand alongside England, Wales, Norway, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, all of whom have already indicated they will not support Infantino's re-election at the FIFA Congress scheduled for March. Infantino, 56, has already lost the backing of three entire regional confederations - UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf - following the fallout from his shelved plan to sell a 20% stake in the World Cup's commercial rights to outside investors. By contrast, the Confederation of African Football and South America's Conmebol have both thrown their weight behind his continued leadership.
In a statement, New Zealand Football said it had reached its position after weighing the broader consequences of recent FIFA decision-making. "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," the statement read.
The federation went further than simply withdrawing support, calling for an independent investigation into how the FIFA Forward Enterprise Scheme (FFE) was developed. It argued that the current moment presents a chance for FIFA's member associations to push collectively for improved governance. "NZF believes this point in time represents an opportunity for all FIFA member associations to advocate for stronger governance, accountability and transparency which are fundamental in maintaining confidence of the administration of the global game," the statement continued.
New Zealand Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell was direct about why an outside body needed to lead the inquiry rather than FIFA itself. "We've called for an independent review specifically because what we don't want to see is a sort of in-house quick washover of this," he said. "An independent review is something else that has been called for by other confederations that will help restore some of the trust."
New Zealand's stance carries particular significance given its footballing status within Oceania - it was the only one of the OFC's 11 member nations to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. That makes its decision to split from the confederation's official line notable, even if the OFC itself has not gone as far as withdrawing support for Infantino outright.
For its part, the OFC issued a more measured response, welcoming FIFA's decision to scrap the FFE proposal and its pledge to examine the issues that arose from the project. "The OFC Executive Committee welcomes FIFA's decision to withdraw the FFE proposal and its commitment to review the issues surrounding the project," the confederation said in its own statement. It also acknowledged the developmental gains made in the region over the past decade under Infantino's tenure, while urging FIFA to treat the review as a genuine opportunity for reform. "The OFC recognises the progress achieved over the last decade in advancing football development in Oceania under FIFA's leadership and encourages FIFA to use the review as an opportunity to identify and implement any changes that may be necessary."
With the March Congress approaching, the growing list of dissenting voices - now spanning multiple confederations and individual associations - signals mounting pressure on Infantino's leadership, even as he retains firm support from Africa and South America.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.