The President of the Jordanian Football Association, Ali bin Al-Hussein, has leveled accusations against FIFA President Gianni Infantino regarding blackmail. He stated that the world football governing body refused to assist in resolving issues facing the Jordanian federation unless it supported his re-election for another term.
In a post on the social media platform X, Ali bin Al-Hussein reported that during the World Cup, he was verbally informed that supporting Infantino's candidacy would 'significantly help' in resolving matters before the Jordanian federation. He emphasized that the organization adheres to high ethical standards and therefore neither supported the current FIFA president previously nor plans to do so in the future.
The head of the Jordanian federation stressed that he considers such actions to be blackmail and declared that the organization will not succumb to pressure.
Among the unresolved issues, he mentioned problems with issuing visas for fans planning to attend the 2026 World Cup, taxation of income related to the national team's participation in the tournament, and the lack of payments for the team's performance in the Arab Cup held in Qatar last December.
This statement comes amid growing criticism of FIFA's leadership following its rejection of an initiative to create a commercial structure to manage the organization's major tournaments with the involvement of external investors. This project caused serious disagreements in world football.
In recent days, UEFA and CONCACAF have also publicly expressed disagreement with Gianni Infantino's course, calling for a comprehensive review of FIFA's governance system. Furthermore, the Football Association of Wales has withdrawn its support for Infantino's candidacy in the upcoming FIFA presidential elections, while other national football federations are considering similar steps.
At the time of publication, FIFA has not officially commented on the accusations made by the President of the Jordanian Football Association.