Prince Ali Accuses Infantino of Blackmailing Jordan Football Association

Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, President of the Jordan Football Association, has opened a new front against FIFA President Gianni Infantino, directly accusing him of exerting pressure related to the FIFA presidential elections. He emphasized that Infantino's support for his re-election was linked to providing assistance to the Jordanian federation.

Prince Ali's remarks come at a time when the FIFA President is facing growing criticism due to his reversal on the plan to sell shares of the World Cup to private sector investors, following widespread objections from several national federations.

In a statement posted on the "X" platform, Prince Ali revealed details of what he described as an attempt to pressure him, saying: "For months, FIFA has refused to assist us with these issues and others, until I was verbally informed during the World Cup that my support for Infantino would significantly help our federation."

He added: "In Jordan, we take pride in upholding moral values, and we did not support him before, and we certainly will not do so now. What happened amounts to extortion, and we refuse to submit to it."

The President of the Jordanian Football Association discussed the challenges faced by his national team during their first participation in the World Cup, explaining that some Jordanian fans were unable to enter the United States despite having match tickets. He also criticized the imposition of American taxes on the team's participation through FIFA, noting that teams based in Canada or Mexico did not bear the same burdens.

Prince Ali has revealed that the financial dues for the Jordan national team remain unpaid after their run to the Arab Cup final, despite several months having passed since they were due. He expressed his astonishment at this delay, especially given FIFA's announcement of its substantial financial reserves.

These statements add to the pressure surrounding Infantino, who is facing rising criticism lately, both due to his administrative decisions and in light of his controversial project to sell shares of the World Cup, amid growing calls for more transparency within the corridors of FIFA.