Former FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein has publicly accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of using withheld prize money as a form of blackmail against the Jordanian football federation. Prince Ali stated that the Jordanian federation, which he leads, has yet to receive $4.2 million owed for reaching the final of the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup held last December in Qatar, where Jordan lost to Morocco.

In a social media post, Prince Ali revealed that during the World Cup in June—Jordan's debut at the tournament—he was told that endorsing Infantino would "go a long way to helping our FA out." Prince Ali firmly rejected this, saying, "We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now," emphasizing Jordan's commitment to ethical values.

Prince Ali described the situation as blackmail, stating, "But the whole situation amounts to blackmail, and we refuse to give in to that." He also criticized FIFA for boasting about its billions in reserves while failing to pay the prize money owed to Jordan.

Gianni Infantino, who has been FIFA president since February 2016 and was expected to be re-elected unopposed for a fourth term through 2031, is currently under pressure amid backlash over a failed plan to sell future World Cup profits to investors.

Sources