The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has officially declared its support for Gianni Infantino, a move that highlights the deepening fractures within global football governance. The decision follows intense pressure from other major confederations, including Uefa, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation, which have previously called for the Fifa president to resign.
Following an executive committee meeting in Fiji this past Wednesday, the OFC released a statement on Friday praising “the progress achieved over the last decade” under Fifa’s current leadership. This marks the confederation’s first public stance since the controversial proposal for a World Cup sell-off surfaced earlier this month.
Despite the OFC’s collective position, New Zealand Football (NZF) has openly broken ranks. As the confederation’s largest member and the only nation to qualify for the most recent World Cup, New Zealand’s withdrawal of support for Infantino is a significant development. The NZF is now calling for an independent review of the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan, a demand echoed by the three rebel confederations.
With 11 full members, the OFC is the smallest of the global confederations. However, with Infantino facing his first leadership challenge in ten years during next year’s presidential election, these 11 votes could prove decisive. The OFC’s stance aligns it with the Confederation of African Football and South America’s Conmebol, both of which have also maintained their backing for the incumbent.
While Uefa, Concacaf, and the AFC represent 143 of Fifa’s 211 total members, the political landscape remains complex. Powerful nations within those blocks, such as Qatar and Mexico, have signaled they remain in Infantino’s corner, suggesting that some member associations may ultimately defy their own confederations’ directives.
In its official statement, the OFC executive committee welcomed Fifa’s decision to withdraw the FFE proposal and acknowledged the organization’s commitment to reviewing the project’s issues. The confederation encouraged Fifa to use this review as a mechanism to implement necessary changes, citing the development of football in Oceania over the last decade as a key achievement under Infantino.
New Zealand’s dissent is particularly notable given that the federation previously benefited from Infantino’s leadership, specifically through its role as co-host of the 2023 Women’s World Cup alongside Australia. Explaining the shift, the NZF stated that recent actions within Fifa have caused a “breakdown in trust” and increased division, necessitating an independent review to restore confidence.
NZF chief executive Andrew Pragnell emphasized that the decision was rooted in the federation’s core values. “Everyone who’s connected to the game around the globe deserves to know where we stand,” Pragnell stated. He added that while the organization respects the hard-working professionals at Fifa, the nature of the FFE proposal was unacceptable and should never have been introduced in such a manner.
The NZF maintains that this moment offers an opportunity for all member associations to push for greater transparency, accountability, and stronger governance. The OFC, which had previously declined to comment on its position for two weeks, now stands as a key pillar of support for Infantino, illustrating the continued loyalty of smaller nations like American Samoa and the Cook Islands in the lead-up to the election. The report also notes that uefa, Concacaf – the North and Central American and Caribbean confederation – and the AFC provide 143 of Fifa’s 211 members, but powerful countries within those blocks, most notably Mexico and Qatar, have already made it. The report also notes that and delayed releasing a statement until two days after its exco meeting, the OFC has repeatedly declined to answer questions from on its position over the last fortnight. The report also notes that “New Zealand is a country that’s always led based on its values, and we’re really proud to put those first and put the fans and the football community first, because I think right now there are some pretty strong calls for change. The report also notes that “There are an incredible group of hard-working professionals at that organisation who’ve been amazing to work with and actually our thoughts are with them at this time, because it’s a difficult time for them to be in this situation as well, and that’s concerning for us. The report also notes that “So, while we reflect on a lot of positives that have come out of the organisation, ultimately, this type of proposal should never have emerged in the way it did.”.
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