Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, president of the Jordan Football Federation, has publicly denounced what he calls “blackmail” by FIFA — accusing the governing body of withholding prize money owed to Jordan in a bid to secure his endorsement of Gianni Infantino ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
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The Accusation: What Prince Ali Said
The president of the Jordanian Football Association, Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of blackmailing his organisation in attempts to secure Jordan’s vote in the organisation’s next leadership election.
In a social media post, Prince Ali said that during the World Cup — where Jordan made their debut in June — he was told that if he endorsed FIFA president Infantino “it would go a long way to helping our FA out.”
Prince Ali wrote: “But the whole situation amounts to blackmail and we refuse to give in to that.”
The president of the Jordanian Football Association wrote on X that his organisation “certainly” would not endorse Infantino after alleging FIFA sought to secure his support by promising it would help with the recovery of money he said was owed to the JFA.
The Arab Cup Prize Money at the Centre of the Storm
Former FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein criticised the soccer body’s leadership headed by Gianni Infantino, describing prize money withheld from his Jordan national team as a kind of blackmail. Prince Ali said the Jordanian federation he leads still has not been paid money due for reaching the final of the FIFA Arab Cup played last December in Qatar.
The 2025 FIFA Arab Cup that Jordan lost in the title match against Morocco was set to pay $4.2 million to the beaten finalist, according to Jordanian media reports from last year.
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.”
| Key Details of the Accusation | Information |
|---|---|
| Who Made the Accusation | Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, Jordan FA President |
| Against | Gianni Infantino, FIFA President |
| Nature of Accusation | Blackmail — prize money withheld pending endorsement |
| Amount Owed to Jordan | $4.2 Million (Arab Cup finalist prize) |
| Tournament in Question | 2025 FIFA Arab Cup, Qatar |
| Jordan’s Result | Runner-Up (Lost Final to Morocco) |
| Accusation Date | August 5, 2026 |
A Decade of Opposition: Prince Ali vs Infantino
Prince Ali ran for FIFA president in 2015 against Sepp Blatter, but dropped out in the second round. The following year, after Blatter was ousted amid a corruption scandal, Ali ran against Infantino. Ali campaigned heavily on FIFA reform and transparency, but finished third behind Infantino and earned only four votes in the second round. Infantino has run unopposed ever since.
Prince Ali stated: “We pride ourselves in Jordan in upholding ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now,” said Prince Ali, who placed third in a five-candidate FIFA presidential contest when Infantino was first elected in February 2016.
The Bigger Crisis: Infantino’s World Cup Sell-Off Disaster
The blackmail accusation does not exist in isolation — it is the latest blow to a FIFA presidency already reeling from a catastrophic political miscalculation.
Infantino’s attempts to fast-track a $20 billion sale of equity in a newly formed FIFA company — FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) — to an investment company fronted by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, was met by global condemnation and hostility.
FIFA scrapped a plan to sell a 20 per cent stake in its commercial rights, worth up to $4.2 billion, after widespread opposition. UEFA threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions if the proposal proceeded, with Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation also rejecting the plan.
A senior adviser to Infantino resigned over the proposal, calling it “a bad deal for football” and accusing FIFA of “mortgaging football’s future without any compelling justification.”
The confederations of UEFA (Europe), Concacaf (North and Central America) and AFC (Asia) all rejected the plan, meaning a combined 143 member associations were opposed.
Infantino’s Reelection: From Formality to Uncertainty
His re-election for the 2027–31 term seemed like a formality. However, the backlash surrounding the failed World Cup sale proposal has left him on the brink ahead of next March’s FIFA Congress in Morocco.
The plan was dropped late last week, but Infantino is now reportedly racing to drum up enough votes to secure his reelection to a fourth term as president as teams like England, Wales, Finland and Sweden retract their support.
The removal process would require 43 member associations to trigger a no confidence vote against the FIFA president.
Infantino is up for re-election in March 2027 for his final four-year term. A deadline of November 18 is set for anyone to announce their candidacy.
| Infantino’s Political Situation | Status |
|---|---|
| Current Term Expiry | March 2027 |
| FIFA Congress Venue | Rabat, Morocco |
| Candidacy Deadline | November 18, 2026 |
| Confederations Opposed to Sell-Off | UEFA, CONCACAF, AFC (143 member associations) |
| No Confidence Vote Threshold | 43 member associations required |
| UEFA’s Position | Lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership |
| Opposition Candidates Confirmed | None announced yet |
Who Could Challenge Infantino?
According to The Telegraph, senior European football officials are considering potential candidates to run against him in the presidential election scheduled for March 17, 2027. Gianni Infantino is facing the most serious crisis of his decade-long FIFA presidency following the controversy surrounding the FIFA Forward Enterprise project.
Sheikh Salman has led the AFC since 2013 and has served as FIFA’s senior vice-president since 2018. Although he has not announced plans to run again, his previous campaign experience and influence across Asian football make him a credible alternative.
Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaifi has also been linked with the FIFA presidency. The Qatari executive’s connections across European and Asian football could make him capable of attracting support from several confederations. However, a spokesperson for Al-Khelaifi said he had no interest in standing for the role.
UEFA’s Response
UEFA said the “task of rebuilding trust in FIFA” had only just begun, signalling the governing body’s loss of confidence in the current leadership.
UEFA confirmed that they have served a document preservation letter to FIFA, indicating that legal and governance scrutiny of the governing body’s recent actions is now formally underway.
UEFA said the current FIFA leadership had lost the confidence not only of European football but also of a significant part of the wider football community.
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FAQs
What exactly did Prince Ali bin Al Hussein accuse FIFA of?
FIFA has been accused of “blackmailing” Jordan over World Cup money in return for their support for Gianni Infantino to stay on as president. Prince Ali alleges that FIFA withheld $4.2 million in Arab Cup prize money and made it clear that the payment would be resolved if he endorsed Infantino’s reelection campaign.
How much prize money is Jordan owed by FIFA?
The 2025 FIFA Arab Cup that Jordan lost in the title match against Morocco was set to pay $4.2 million to the beaten finalist, according to Jordanian media reports.
Why is Infantino’s presidency under pressure beyond the Jordan accusation?
Infantino is under pressure to save his 11-year presidency amid a fierce backlash from global soccer leaders about his now-failed plan to sell a stake in future World Cup profits to investors led by Joshua Kushner.
When is the next FIFA presidential election?
A rival candidate has until November 18 to take on Infantino in next March’s FIFA presidential election in Rabat, Morocco.
Has FIFA responded to Prince Ali’s blackmail accusation?
FIFA has not issued an official public response directly addressing Prince Ali’s blackmail accusation at the time of publication. The governing body’s leadership remains focused on managing the political fallout from the collapsed World Cup sell-off proposal.
