FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino face accusations of blackmail from Jordan's Prince Ali Al Hussein, who claims he was told during the World Cup that his nation would receive help if he backed Infantino.
Prince Ali's allegations
In a post on X, Prince Ali, who is the president of the Jordan Football Association, said that FIFA had refused to assist Jordan on various matters for months, until a verbal communication during the World Cup suggested that endorsing Infantino would aid their FA.
"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," he wrote.
Details of grievances
Prince Ali outlined several issues facing Jordan's FA, including visa problems for fans traveling to the USA, taxes imposed by the US government through FIFA, and unpaid prize money from the Arab Cup in Qatar.
He noted that Jordan, competing in its first World Cup, faced hurdles due to its small budget, while FIFA boasted of its financial reserves.
Context of controversy
The accusations come after Infantino faced backlash over a proposal to sell World Cup stakes to private investors, which was withdrawn following opposition. FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom reportedly criticized the proposal in a leaked email, and Arsene Wenger has also spoken out against Infantino.
