FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing a fresh wave of scrutiny after Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, President of the Jordan Football Association, publicly accused him of “blackmail.” The accusation stems from claims that FIFA withheld prize money owed to the Jordan FA, linking its release to an endorsement of Infantino’s re-election bid.

Prince Ali detailed his allegations in a lengthy statement on X, which has since been viewed over 3.7 million times. He stated that the Jordan FA has been awaiting reward money for its players since December, following their participation in the Arab Cup in Qatar. Jordan reached the final of the FIFA event on December 18, 2025, ultimately securing a silver medal after a 3-2 defeat to Morocco.

“We have been waiting for reward money for our players since December for the Arab Cup in Qatar, which is a FIFA event,” Prince Ali wrote. “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.”

The Jordan FA President further alleged that the situation escalated during the World Cup. “For months, FIFA has been refusing to help us on any of these or other matters- until it was verbally communicated to me during the World Cup that if I endorsed Infantino it would go a long way to helping our FA out,” he claimed. Prince Ali firmly rejected the proposition, stating, “We pride ourselves in Jordan in upholding ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now. But the whole situation amounts to blackmail and we refuse to give in to that.”

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Infantino faces wider criticism

The “blackmail” accusation adds to a growing list of challenges for Infantino, who has held the FIFA presidency for over a decade. He recently scrapped a controversial plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors on August 1. This decision followed widespread opposition, including a threat from all 55 European nations in UEFA to boycott the tournament if the plan proceeded. Both CONCACAF and AFC also rejected the proposals, and Infantino’s top advisor, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned in protest.

The mounting pressure prompted Infantino to call a crisis meeting with senior FIFA staff in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday, August 5, as reported by Sky Sports. The Times (UK) had previously reported on Infantino’s plot to sell World Cup stakes.

Prince Ali also highlighted other issues faced by the Jordan FA, a “small country with a minimal budget.” These included difficulties for fans obtaining US visas for the World Cup, despite holding tickets, and the US government taxing the Jordan FA for its participation through FIFA. He noted that this tax burden was not imposed on teams that played and set up camp in Canada and Mexico.

Re-election looms for Infantino

Infantino is set to stand for re-election in March for what would be his fourth and final term as president. To secure his position, he will require 106 votes out of 211. However, his support appears to be waning, with only 15 nations publicly backing him since his controversial World Cup stake sale plans emerged. Notably, both the English and Welsh FAs have withdrawn their backing for Infantino.

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LADbible Group has reportedly contacted FIFA for comment regarding Prince Ali’s claims.

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