Jordan FA Chief Accuses FIFA's Infantino of 'Blackmail'

Jordan Football Association President Prince Ali bin Hussein on Tuesday accused FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, of attempting to "blackmail" the federation by allegedly linking support for Infantino's re-election to assistance on pending issues.

In a strongly worded statement, Prince Ali claimed the Jordan FA has yet to receive prize money for reaching the final of the FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar last December. He also criticised FIFA over visa issues that prevented several Jordanian fans with valid tickets from attending the recent World Cup in the United States and said Jordan's World Cup earnings were being taxed by the US government through FIFA.

Prince Ali, who unsuccessfully contested the FIFA presidency twice, alleged he was told during the World Cup that endorsing Infantino's bid for another term "would go a long way" in helping the Jordan FA.

"We have been waiting since December for the reward money our players earned by reaching the Arab Cup final," he said. "FIFA boasts of billions in reserves, yet the payment has still not been made. It is clear the real problem lies with the leadership."

He further claimed FIFA had refused to assist the Jordan FA on several matters until support for Infantino's re-election was raised, adding, "We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now. The entire situation amounts to blackmail, and we refuse to give in."

Prince Ali was defeated by Sepp Blatter in the 2015 FIFA presidential election and finished third in the 2016 race won by Infantino, who succeeded Blatter as FIFA president.

Infantino, widely expected to secure a fourth term in next March's FIFA presidential election, is facing growing scrutiny following the collapse of a proposal to open the World Cup to private investment.

Earlier on Tuesday, FIFA's chief of global football development, Arsène Wenger, and secretary-general Mattias Grafstrom also criticised Infantino's handling of the abandoned investment plan. Meanwhile, several UEFA member associations, including Wales, Finland, Sweden and Serbia, have withdrawn their letters of support for Infantino, while England is reportedly considering a similar move.