Prince Accuses Infantino of Blackmail
Jordan's Prince Ali bin Al Hussein claims he was told during the World Cup that public support for the FIFA president would 'greatly help' resolve his federation's issues.
Jordan's Prince Ali bin Al Hussein claims he was told during the World Cup that public support for the FIFA president would 'greatly help' resolve his federation's issues.
A new scandal is shaking the world football organization. The president of the Jordan Football Association and former FIFA vice-president, Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, has publicly accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of attempted blackmail. In a social media post, he claimed that during the World Cup, a message was relayed to him that public support for Infantino in the upcoming elections would 'greatly help' in resolving the issues facing the Jordanian federation.
Prince Ali, who ran against Infantino in the 2016 FIFA presidential election, said he would not yield to pressure. 'In Jordan, we pride ourselves on ethical values. We did not support him before, and we will not now. This is blackmail, and we will not give in,' he wrote, as reported by Kurir.rs.
The Prince linked the alleged pressure to the fact that the Jordan Football Association has yet to receive the money it is owed for reaching the final of the FIFA Arab Cup. That final was played in December 2025 in Qatar, where Jordan lost to Morocco. According to Večernji list, the amount in question is $4.2 million.
'The money our national team was supposed to receive for reaching the final has not been delivered, while FIFA boasts about having billions in reserves. It is clear that the problem truly lies with the leadership. FIFA has refused to help us for months with any of these or other issues,' Prince Ali stated, as reported by Večernji list.
The accusations come at a time when Infantino is facing growing pressure within the organization. Goal.com reports that the FIFA president called a crisis meeting with his top aides on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in the Moroccan capital, Rabat. Interestingly, Rabat has been chosen as the venue for the next FIFA Congress, scheduled for March 18, 2027, which is also when Infantino's re-election is planned.
Goal.com notes that some of Infantino's closest associates have distanced themselves from the controversial plan to sell a stake in commercial rights, which Infantino was forced to withdraw. FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström told staff in an email that 'individuals, unstable moments, and unfortunate incidents come and go,' but the institution and its mission remain. FIFA director Arsene Wenger also distanced himself, stating: 'I was not involved in this plan and learned about the project from the press. The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and unquestionable.'
According to Goal.com, Greece has officially withdrawn its support for Infantino, and several member associations from North and Central America and the Caribbean are seriously considering similar moves. Additional problems are being caused by complaints from host cities of the World Cup in the United States. Anonymous representatives from four cities told The Athletic that they were verbally promised $1 million each in so-called 'legacy' funds from FIFA's leadership circle, but that money has still not been paid.
Kurir.rs adds that Jordan has been unsuccessfully seeking FIFA's help for months on other issues as well, including the denial of US visas for fans who wanted to attend the World Cup and high taxes the federation had to pay for matches played in the US. According to that outlet, FIFA has not yet officially responded to Prince Ali's accusations, despite inquiries from global media.
