New Zealand Football has withdrawn its backing for Gianni Infantino’s re-election as FIFA president in 2027, citing concerns about governance, transparency and an erosion of trust within world football.
The decision follows controversy over FIFA’s proposed Forward Enterprise scheme, which contemplated selling a 20 percent stake in World Cup commercial rights to private investors before the plan was abandoned amid opposition.
NZF is calling for an independent review of how the proposal was developed, with chief executive Andrew Pragnell saying too much decision-making power should not be concentrated in one person. While acknowledging FIFA’s contribution to football development and New Zealand’s benefits from initiatives including the Women’s World Cup, NZF said stronger accountability and institutional oversight were needed to rebuild confidence in the organisation.
INFANTINO LOSES ANOTHER BACKER 🚨🇳🇿
New Zealand Football has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino’s FIFA re-election.
The reason?
A loss of confidence after FIFA’s abandoned commercial-rights investment proposal.
Now they want an independent review.
This is no longer… pic.twitter.com/C0zEQBJRUn
— eFans AI (@eFans) August 14, 2026
