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New Zealand Football Withdraws Support for Infantino Over FIFA Plan

8/14/2026

41 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

New Zealand Football withdrew its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the 2027 FIFA Congress.
NZF said the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, which would sell a 20 percent World Cup commercial-rights stake, broke trust and deepened division.
NZF will commission an independent review of the scheme’s development steps.
The move makes New Zealand the only OFC member to pull back support, while UEFA, AFC and Concacaf have also withdrawn theirs.

History

Historical Context

The 2015 corruption scandal that forced Sepp Blatter to resign ended his 17-year presidency (1998-2015) and sparked calls for reform. In February 2016 FIFA’s extraordinary congress adopted new statutes and elected Gianni Infantino, introducing governance reforms. New Zealand Football’s recent withdrawal of support echoes the 2015 backlash and may drive further changes.

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Story summary

New Zealand Football withdrew its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the 2027 FIFA Congress.
NZF said the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, which would sell a 20 percent World Cup commercial-rights stake, broke trust and deepened division.
NZF will commission an independent review of the scheme’s development steps.
The move makes New Zealand the only OFC member to pull back support, while UEFA, AFC and Concacaf have also withdrawn theirs.

1 / 2