ZURICH (GNP): Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali bin al-Hussein has accused Gianni Infantino’s FIFA administration of blackmail, alleging that the organization threatened to withhold financial support from his federation unless it endorsed Infantino’s bid for re-election.
Prince Ali, who challenged Infantino for the FIFA presidency in 2016 and finished third, also said Jordan’s players have yet to be paid for their appearances at last year’s Arab Cup, and he leads the West Asian Football Federation, whose membership includes Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, both of which have so far continued backing Infantino.
In a statement posted on X, Prince Ali described a pattern of obstacles Jordan has faced in seeking assistance from FIFA, noting that some fans were denied visas for this year’s World Cup despite having purchased tickets, and voicing frustration over US taxation issues tied to the federation’s presence in the country.
He said Jordan has been waiting since December for prize money owed for reaching the Arab Cup final, even as FIFA publicizes the scale of its financial reserves.
Prince Ali said the underlying issue lies with FIFA’s leadership, explaining that after months of the organization declining to assist with these matters, he was told verbally during the World Cup that endorsing Infantino would help resolve his federation’s outstanding issues. He said Jordan has consistently declined to offer that endorsement, both previously and now, and characterized the pressure applied to secure his support as amounting to blackmail that his federation would not accept.
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The allegation surfaced as Infantino faced additional setbacks from within his own organization. FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström was reported to have described the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise investment plan as a sad and reproachable series of events in an email sent to FIFA staff, while Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global development and formerly Arsenal’s manager, said the project’s withdrawal had been absolutely necessary. Wenger added that he had not been involved in developing the strategy and had first learned of it through media coverage, saying his support for an independent FIFA guided by transparency and integrity made the decision to abandon the plan an easy one.
Grafström’s email, while stopping short of naming Infantino directly, urged staff to maintain morale following what was seen internally as a successful World Cup, describing the turmoil surrounding the organization as difficult to comprehend while emphasizing that FIFA’s institutional mission would continue regardless of individual setbacks.
The controversy comes as Infantino’s support among member federations continues to erode. Greece is understood to be the latest football association to withdraw its backing for his fourth term, following similar moves by England, Wales, Finland, and Serbia, with further defections expected among European federations in the coming days and several Concacaf nations reportedly reconsidering their positions as well.
Other federations are believed to have faced pressure to formally endorse Infantino ahead of FIFA’s presidential election in March, though the specifics of that pressure remain unclear in those cases.
FIFA has been contacted for comment regarding Prince Ali’s allegations. Infantino is reported to have summoned FIFA staff to a crisis meeting in Rabat, Morocco, this Wednesday as he works to shore up his position.
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
