New Zealand Football withdraws support for FIFA president, calls for investigation

New Zealand Football has withdrawn its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, citing a "trust deficit" and "division" within international football. The move comes ahead of the 2027 FIFA presidential election where Infantino is seeking re-election.

The dissatisfaction stems from FIFA's July announcement of plans to establish a commercial entity that would allow private investors to buy into FIFA tournaments. Although FIFA quickly dropped these plans after facing widespread criticism, New Zealand Football believes the incident has damaged trust.

"An independent investigation is necessary to restore trust," stated New Zealand Football on its website. Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, faces no official challengers yet for the March 2027 election, with the deadline for candidates to declare themselves November 18.

Several continental confederations, including UEFA (55 nations), CONCACAF (41 nations), and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) (47 nations), have also previously expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino. However, Mexico, part of CONCACAF, has indicated its continued support for the FIFA president.

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An independent investigation is necessary to restore trust.