Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein has launched a scathing attack on FIFA president Gianni Infantino, accusing world football’s governing body of using financial pressure to secure political support. The explosive claims come at a time when Infantino is battling growing resistance from football leaders around the world.
Prince Ali, a former FIFA vice president and one time presidential candidate, said Jordan is still waiting for prize money earned after finishing runners up at the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar. The Jordanian Football Association reportedly remains owed $4.2 million, months after the tournament ended.
In a strongly worded social media statement, Prince Ali claimed he was told during Jordan’s historic debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup that backing Infantino “would go a long way to helping our FA out.” He rejected the alleged offer without hesitation.
“We pride ourselves in Jordan in upholding ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now,” Prince Ali wrote. “But the whole situation amounts to blackmail and we refuse to give in to that.”
His criticism goes beyond unpaid prize money. Prince Ali also pointed to expensive World Cup ticket prices for Jordanian fans, visa difficulties for supporters travelling to the United States, and tax costs linked to Jordan’s participation because the team was based in the US rather than Canada or Mexico.
“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,” he added. “It is clear the problem really is with leadership.”
The timing of the allegations is significant. Infantino’s authority has weakened following the collapse of his proposal to sell a minority stake in future World Cup revenues. Several confederations, including UEFA, have pushed back, while football’s political landscape appears more divided than at any point during his presidency.
Prince Ali knows FIFA politics better than most. He challenged Sepp Blatter in 2015 and later finished third when Infantino won the FIFA presidency in 2016. His latest intervention could further influence the race before FIFA’s presidential election in March 2027, with Asia expected to play a decisive role.
FIFA has yet to respond publicly to the allegations, but the controversy has added another layer of uncertainty to a leadership battle that shows no signs of slowing down.
