Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali bin al-Hussein has levelled serious accusations against FIFA president Gianni Infantino, alleging the world governing body attempted to pressure Jordan into supporting Infantino’s re-election campaign by withholding financial assistance.
Prince Ali, who challenged Infantino for the FIFA presidency in 2016 and finished third in the vote, claimed FIFA linked assistance for the Jordanian federation to a public endorsement of the incumbent president.
His remarks come amid growing scrutiny of FIFA’s leadership and increasing opposition to Infantino’s bid to secure a fourth term.
As president of the West Asian Football Federation, which includes influential members such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Prince Ali’s criticism carries significant weight. He also revealed that Jordan’s players have yet to receive prize money earned from reaching the final of last year’s FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar.
His statement, published on X, outlined several grievances with FIFA’s handling of Jordan’s concerns following the country’s historic first appearance at the FIFA World Cup.
Among them were delays in financial payments, visa issues affecting Jordanian supporters despite having purchased match tickets, and frustration over taxation imposed by the United States during the tournament.
“We have been waiting for reward money for our players since December for the Arab Cup in Qatar, which is a Fifa event,” his statement read.
“The money our team should receive for having reached the final has not been delivered yet, while at the same time Fifa brags about how many billions they have in reserve.”
“It is clear the problem really is with leadership. For months, Fifa has been refusing to help us on any of these or other matters – until it was verbally communicated to me during the World Cup that if I endorsed Infantino it would go a long way to helping our FA out.”
“We pride ourselves in Jordan in upholding ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now. But the whole situation amounts to blackmail and we refuse to give in to that.”
Prince Ali’s allegations emerge as support for Infantino appears to be weakening across several football federations. Greece is understood to be the latest national association to withdraw its backing, joining England, Wales, Finland and Serbia.
Additional European nations are reportedly reconsidering their positions, while several member associations within Concacaf are also said to be reviewing their support ahead of the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March.
The controversy follows the collapse of FIFA’s proposed private investment venture, FIFA Forward Enterprise, a project that has drawn criticism from within the organisation itself.
FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström reportedly described the abandoned initiative as “a sad and reproachable series of events” in an email sent to staff, while encouraging employees to remain focused despite the turmoil surrounding the governing body.
“A sad and reproachable series of events – which were thankfully concluded with the FFE project permanently abandoned – for as much as we feel dismayed by them, should not overshadow this reality,” the email stated.
He also acknowledged “a turmoil, which is difficult to comprehend and accept” and added:
“Individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go. The institution, its mission and its responsibility towards world football continue, and that is why we should always keep our professionalism, sense of perspective and composure.”
Further distancing himself from the failed investment proposal, FIFA’s chief of global football development, Arsène Wenger, confirmed he had not been involved in the project and only became aware of it through media reports.
“I was not involved in this strategic plan and first became aware of the project through media reports,” Wenger said.
“The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent Fifa that serves our game with commitment, transparency, and integrity.”
Reports also suggest other football associations were subjected to pressure to publicly endorse Infantino before next year’s election, although details surrounding those alleged efforts remain unclear.
Meanwhile, reports indicate Infantino has summoned FIFA staff to an emergency meeting in Rabat, Morocco, as he attempts to contain the growing crisis surrounding his leadership.
