Infantino suffers another blow as World Cup nation withdraws support for Fifa boss
- New Zealand Football has formally withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino ahead of his re-election campaign at the 2027 Fifa Congress, citing a breakdown in trust and growing division within international football.
- New Zealand, who competed at the most recent World Cup, is currently the only member of the 11-nation Oceania Football Confederation to withdraw backing, breaking ranks with its regional governing body which stopped short of condemning Infantino’s leadership.
- The national governing body has called for an independent review into the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme, advocating for stronger governance, accountability, and transparency to rebuild confidence in global football administration.
- Opposition to Infantino has mounted globally following his aborted plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors, with European, North American, and Asian confederations, alongside associations such as England, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland, also withdrawing support.
- Despite losing backing from key European and Pacific bodies, Infantino retains support from the Confederation of African Football and South America’s Conmebol as he seeks a fourth term as Fifa president.
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