New Zealand Football drops support for Gianni Infantino and seeks independent review | OneFootball

New Zealand Football has withdrawn its backing for Gianni Infantino and, alongside that decision, urged an independent review of his abandoned plan to invite private investment into FIFA through the creation of a commercial company, the federation announced on Friday.

The move comes amid mounting pressure after an open letter earlier this week from UEFA, the AFC and Concacaf that criticised FIFA’s leadership and the commercial vehicle proposal.

The announcement cited broken trust from decisions and actions within FIFA, with divisions in the international game worsening.

The moment was presented as a chance for all FIFA member associations to push for stronger governance, greater accountability and greater transparency.

Infantino, the Italo-Swiss president in post since 2016, has lost support from several European federations, including Norway, Sweden, Serbia, Wales and England. He remains the only declared candidate for the next FIFA election, set for March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco, and still has the backing of CAF and influential nations in the Americas such as Mexico and Argentina.

Source: L'Équipe

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