Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, president of the Jordanian Football Federation, on Tuesday threw a new stone in the garden of FIFA number one Gianni Infantino by accusing him of “blackmail”.
In a message posted on
The half-brother of the King of Jordan cites visa problems for supporters wishing to go to the United States during the World Cup, taxes imposed by the American government, or even the non-payment of bonuses for players during the Arab Cup organized in Qatar in December 2025 by FIFA.
“It is clear that the real problem comes from the direction” of the world body, writes the prince. “For months, FIFA refused to help us on these or other issues, until I was told orally during the World Cup that if I supported Infantino it would go a long way to helping our federation.”
“In Jordan, we are proud to uphold ethical values. We have not supported it before and we certainly will not do so now. But this whole situation amounts to blackmail, and we refuse to give in to it,” he concluded in his post.
The virulent criticism of the number one of the Jordanian federation adds to an increasing number of voices distancing themselves from Gianni Infantino, the main defender of an ultimately aborted project to open the World Cup to private investors, and candidate for his re-election in March.
