Pressure on Infantino: Federation Chief Accuses FIFA of Extortion

Pressure on Infantino: Federation Chief Accuses FIFA of Extortion

As the crisis within FIFA deepens, President Gianni Infantino is facing serious allegations of extortion.

Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, the head of the Jordanian Football Association, has claimed that FIFA has withheld prize payments related to the Arab Cup, which took place in December 2025. In a post on social media platform X, he stated, "Until I was verbally informed during the World Cup that it would greatly help our football association if I supported Infantino, we had not backed him and certainly will not do so now." He emphasized, "But the entire situation amounts to extortion, and we refuse to allow it."

FIFA has been approached for a statement regarding these allegations.

Al-Hussein: Once Infantino's Rival

Criticism of Infantino has intensified following the cancellation of a previously anticipated investor deal. Speculation is growing about whether the Swiss official’s tenure at the helm of FIFA may be nearing its end.

In the 2016 presidential election, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein was a contender against Infantino but did not succeed. He had also lost to former FIFA president Sepp Blatter in the previous year’s election. From 2011 to 2015, Ali bin al-Hussein served as Vice President on FIFA's influential Executive Committee.

Allegations Against FIFA: No Funds for Jordan but Billions in Reserves

The Jordanian official further revealed that FIFA still owes money to the Jordanian Football Association. As the runner-up in the FIFA Arab Cup held in December 2025, Jordan is entitled to a prize that is reportedly around $4.2 million (approximately €3.6 million). "The money that our team should have received for reaching the finals has not yet been paid, even though FIFA claims to have billions in reserves," al-Hussein noted on the news platform.