New Zealand withdraws support for Infantino’s fourth FIFA presidency bid

Friday 14 August 2026 - 18:58

By: Azzat Manal

New Zealand withdraws support for Infantino’s fourth FIFA presidency bid

New Zealand Football has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino’s bid to remain president of FIFA for a fourth term, becoming the first national football association in Oceania to publicly distance itself from the Swiss administrator.

The decision follows controversy surrounding a proposal to sell part of FIFA’s commercial rights. New Zealand Football said it had reviewed recent developments and concluded that certain decisions and processes had contributed to declining trust and greater divisions within international football.

The association called for an independent review of the steps taken under the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative. It also stressed the importance of stronger governance, transparency and accountability within football’s global governing body.

New Zealand’s decision places it alongside several European football associations that have also withdrawn their backing for Infantino, including England, Wales, Norway, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The Oceania Football Confederation, meanwhile, welcomed FIFA’s decision to abandon the commercial-rights proposal but has not withdrawn its support for Infantino. The regional body emphasized the importance of good governance and said the review should help improve FIFA’s internal processes.

The original proposal reportedly involved selling a 20% stake in World Cup commercial rights to private investors, with the move expected to generate around $4.2 billion. FIFA later stepped back from the plan following widespread criticism.

Infantino is seeking a fourth term in the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027. Although he continues to enjoy support from several continental and national associations, the growing number of organizations questioning his leadership could increase scrutiny of his campaign and FIFA’s governance ahead of the election.