FIFA has been accused of blackmail by the Jordanian FA as Gianni Infantino comes under increasing pressure from across the world of football. Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein claimed FIFA sought to secure his support for Gianni Infantino’s re-election by promising to help recover money he said was owed to the association.
The allegation comes as the FIFA president faces growing pressure over plans to seek private investors for a company that would run the organisation’s major tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. Prince Ali claimed Jordanian supporters were refused visas to enter the United States despite holding World Cup match tickets, while describing ticket prices as “exorbitant”.
He also criticised the “huge costs” his association faced through US taxes while competing at the tournament, claiming countries based in Canada and Mexico did not face the same issue.
The Jordan FA president also said the association was still waiting to receive prize money from last December’s FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar, despite the national team reaching the final.
He said: “It is clear the problem really is with leadership.”
Prince Ali added: “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 continued: “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.”
FIFA declined to comment on Prince Ali’s allegations.
Jordan has now joined a growing number of football associations to withdraw support for Infantino, including England, Wales, Finland, Sweden and Serbia.