Fifa president Gianni Infantino's grip on power has been shaken further after New Zealand Football (NZF) broke from the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) to withdraw its backing for his re-election bid, deepening a rift that has split world football into rival camps.
The move came just days after the OFC's executive committee met in Fiji and issued a statement broadly supportive of Infantino, praising the "progress achieved over the last decade" in football development across Oceania under his stewardship. New Zealand, the confederation's largest member and the only Oceania nation to have qualified for this summer's World Cup, chose to distance itself from that position entirely.
In a statement, NZF confirmed it had "formally withdrawn its support for the candidature of Gianni Infantino as Fifa President" ahead of the 2027 Fifa Congress and called for an independent review of the now-abandoned Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme, which had proposed selling a stake in the World Cup to private investors before being shelved earlier this month.
"After careful consideration, New Zealand Football 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 federation said.
NZF chief executive Andrew Pragnell explained that the decision reflected the organisation's core principles. "Everyone who's connected to the game around the globe deserves to know where we stand," he said. "New Zealand is a country that's always led based on its values, and we're really proud to put those first and put the fans and the football community first, because I think right now there are some pretty strong calls for change."
Pragnell also expressed sympathy for Fifa staff amid the turmoil. "There are an incredible group of hard-working professionals at that organisation who've been amazing to work with and actually our thoughts are with them at this time, because it's a difficult time for them to be in this situation as well, and that's concerning for us," he said. "So, while we reflect on a lot of positives that have come out of the organisation, ultimately, this type of proposal should never have emerged in the way it did."
New Zealand's stance has added weight given the federation's close relationship with Fifa as co-host, alongside Australia, of the 2023 Women's World Cup — a tournament widely regarded as a success during Infantino's tenure.
The OFC's broader position, meanwhile, remains one of qualified support. Its statement welcomed Fifa's decision to scrap the World Cup sell-off plan and its pledge to review the matter, while stopping short of any criticism of Infantino's leadership. The confederation had delayed its response for nearly two weeks and had repeatedly declined to clarify its position when approached by reporters.
The developments mark the latest chapter in what has become an increasingly open confrontation within Fifa's governance structure. Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation have already called for Infantino to step down, with those three confederations collectively representing 143 of Fifa's 211 member associations. Individual federations including England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have also declared they will not support his re-election.
However, Infantino retains significant backing elsewhere. The Confederation of African Football and Conmebol, South America's governing body, have both thrown their support behind a fourth term for the president, while influential nations such as Mexico and Qatar have also indicated they remain in his corner. Smaller Oceania nations, including American Samoa and the Cook Islands, are expected to continue backing Infantino as well, setting up a fiercely contested vote at the Fifa Congress.
With the presidential election looming, the fractures exposed by the collapsed World Cup investment plan look set to shape the battle for control of world football's governing body in the months ahead.
Based on reporting from The Guardian and The Independent.