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New Zealand Withdraws Support for FIFA President Infantino, Demands Independent Review

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • New Zealand Football has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino's FIFA presidency re-election bid.
  • The decision follows criticism over Infantino's now-scrapped FIFA Forward Enterprise project, which aimed to involve private investors.
  • Several European football associations have also withdrawn support, though Infantino retains backing from other confederations and some national leaders.

New Zealand Football announced Friday it is withdrawing support for Gianni Infantino's bid for re-election as FIFA president. The organization also called for an independent review of FIFA's management.

This move comes amid a crisis sparked by Infantino's FIFA Forward Enterprise project. The initiative, designed to allow private investors into a portion of FIFA's commercial rights, faced criticism from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF for a lack of transparency and consultation. The project has since been withdrawn.

The New Zealand Football Federation stated that "careful consideration" led them to believe certain FIFA decisions have eroded trust and increased division in international football. They deem an independent review essential for restoring credibility and confidence in global football governance.

New Zealand joins Ireland, Finland, Wales, England, Sweden, Serbia, and the Netherlands in withdrawing support. However, Infantino still has backing from the Confederation of African Football, CONMEBOL, and several Middle Eastern and African nations. Former U.S. President Donald Trump also defended Infantino, citing the success of the 2026 World Cup.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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