New Zealand Football has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino’s candidacy for the 2027 FIFA presidential election, with chief executive Andrew Pragnell calling for greater transparency and an independent investigation into the governing body’s failed plan to sell a stake in its commercial and event operations.

New Zealand breaks with Infantino

New Zealand’s decision followed similar moves by several European associations, including England, Wales, Scotland, Serbia, Finland and Croatia. Infantino remains the only declared candidate for the election, but his position has come under increased pressure since the collapse of the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.

The plan would have brought private investors, including Thrive Eternal, the investment firm led by Joshua Kushner, into FIFA’s commercial and event businesses. Member associations were reportedly promised payments of $40 million each over the next four years.

Pragnell said the proposal raised fundamental questions about FIFA’s finances and decision-making. FIFA generated more than $15 billion during the cycle that includes the 2026 World Cup, while the proposed enterprise valuation of just over $20 billion prompted concerns that the organisation’s assets might be undervalued.

“There were so many concerning angles,” Pragnell told The Athletic. “The question was why. Why private equity? Why now? How was the valuation worked up? Why Thrive Eternal?”

Calls for an independent review

Pragnell said New Zealand Football learned about the plan through media messages rather than a formal consultation process. A presentation prepared by J.P. Morgan was sent to federations more than 24 hours after the proposal had been publicly reported, intensifying concerns that FIFA’s member associations had been excluded from a major strategic decision.

New Zealand wants a genuinely independent review examining how the enterprise plan was created, who participated and why the proposal was advanced without broader consultation. FIFA has indicated that it will conduct its own review and report to the FIFA Council, but Pragnell said the terms of reference should be agreed by all six confederations.

“We need a qualified global institution with investigative background and strong commercial knowledge to do this type of work,” he said. “The scope needs to be overseen by the parties who’ve lost the trust.”

Broader concerns over FIFA governance

The controversy has added to wider criticism of Infantino’s leadership. UEFA, Concacaf and Asian confederations recently issued a joint letter saying trust in FIFA’s leadership had been broken “through deception,” while UEFA separately said it had “lost confidence” in the FIFA president.

Pragnell also cited concerns about the awarding of future World Cups and the perceived concentration of power within FIFA. Saudi Arabia’s selection as host of the 2034 tournament has faced scrutiny because the confederation rotation system effectively left the Asian confederation as the only eligible region after the 2030 event was allocated across Africa, Europe and South America.

He further acknowledged that questions had emerged about the perceived independence of FIFA’s disciplinary committee after the suspension of a one-match ban imposed on United States forward Folarin Balogun during the World Cup. Pragnell stressed that he was not making an allegation of interference, but said the episode had shaken public confidence.

Pragnell urges others to speak out

Oceania’s football confederation has not collectively withdrawn its support for Infantino, instead praising progress made during his presidency and allowing its member associations to act independently. Pragnell said New Zealand was in contact with football associations in other regions but did not believe the dispute had reached its conclusion.

He urged executives and federations to state their positions openly rather than wait to see how the political situation develops.

“People need to step forward,” Pragnell said. “We took the position as a values-based decision; that’s what we stood for. We thought the public should know what we stand for. We hope that, by taking that stance, others will feel brave enough to come forward and state their position as well.”