According to Cadenaser, Jordanian Football Federation President Ali bin Hussein accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of "extortion" and stated that he would not support his re-election.
Jordanian Football Federation President Prince Ali bin Hussein recently accused Gianni Infantino of "extortion." He subsequently stated that he would not support Infantino's re-election as FIFA president. Infantino is currently under scrutiny due to the setback in his attempt to open the World Cup to private investment.
Ali bin Hussein published a strongly worded post on social media detailing his disagreements with other FIFA officials. He wrote, "During the World Cup, someone verbally told me that if I supported Infantino, it would be a huge contribution to helping our football association." He then listed the "huge obstacles" the Jordanian Football Federation would face during the 2026 World Cup, Jordan's first-ever participation in the tournament.
The president of the Jordanian Football Federation also stated that many Jordanian fans, even those with tickets, have not obtained US visas. He further pointed out that these tickets were "sold at outrageously high prices." He also revealed that the US government is collecting taxes from Jordan through FIFA related to participation in the tournament. Ali bin Hussein stated, "Teams that played and stayed in Canada and Mexico didn't encounter this situation. But because we are in the US, we are now facing these huge tax costs for participating."
Furthermore, he stated that the Jordanian Football Federation has been awaiting the prize money for the Qatar Arab Cup final since last December. This is a FIFA-sponsored competition, but the prize money has yet to be paid out, despite FIFA "boasting of having billions in reserves." Ali bin Hussein continued, "It's clear the problem lies with the management. For months, FIFA has refused to help us with these and other matters." He also stated that the Jordanian Football Federation upholds "moral values."
After being urged to support Gianni Infantino's bid for a third and final four-year term in March 2027, Ali bin Hussein stated that Jordan adheres to "moral values." Infantino needs a simple majority of over 50% of FIFA's 211 member associations to be re-elected. Ali bin Hussein said, "We didn't support him before, and we certainly won't now. But the whole situation constitutes blackmail, and we refuse to yield."
Following the recent failure of his plan to open up the World Cup to private investment, Infantino is losing the trust of more and more football associations, especially in Europe. Despite the turbulent situation, the FIFA president has less than a year to turn things around. The election for the next FIFA president will be held on March 18.
