Former FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein has stepped into the spotlight once again, this time taking aim at FIFA President Gianni Infantino. On Tuesday, he raised serious concerns over the leadership of Infantino, whose re-election hopes now hang by a thread. The Jordanian royal, who leads the Jordanian football federation, revealed that his organization is still waiting for payments owed for reaching the finals of the FIFA Arab Cup held last December in Qatar.
In a pointed social media post, Prince Ali recounted an incident during the World Cup, where Jordan made its debut in June. He claimed he was told that endorsing Infantino would significantly benefit their football association. “It would go a long way to helping our FA out,” he quoted. This situation has been exacerbated by Infantino facing mounting pressure from global football leaders over his controversial plan to sell a stake in future World Cup profits to investors, including Joshua Kushner.
“We pride ourselves in Jordan in upholding ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now,” Prince Ali stated firmly. It’s worth noting that he was a candidate in the FIFA presidential elections back in February 2016, where he finished third among five candidates. He did not hold back, labeling the current circumstances as “blackmail,” asserting that they will not yield to such tactics.
The stakes are high; the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup reportedly promised $4.2 million to the runner-up, a title that Jordan narrowly lost to Morocco. “The money our team should receive for having reached the final has not been delivered yet,” Prince Ali emphasized, highlighting the irony of FIFA boasting about their financial reserves while they neglect to pay dues. “It is clear the problem really is with leadership. For months, FIFA has been refusing to help us on any of these or other matters,” he added, voicing frustrations shared by many in the football community.
The fallout from Infantino’s secretive private equity plan, which came to light just a week ago, has sent shockwaves through soccer politics. Former colleagues at UEFA are reportedly on the hunt for a rival candidate to challenge Infantino’s leadership. FIFA has set November 18 as the deadline for candidates to declare their intentions for the election scheduled for March 18 in Rabat, Morocco.
With tensions rising and allegiances being tested, the world of football is left asking: what will happen next?
Kaynak: Orijinal Haber