Prince Ali Accuses FIFA of Extortion
Prince Ali bin Hussein, President of the Jordanian Football Association, issued widespread criticisms of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) regarding several files concerning national associations, emphasizing that the core problem lies in “leadership.” In a post on the X platform yesterday, Prince Ali stated that many issues and files have become clearly evident from the perspective of the Jordanian Football Association, particularly with the Jordanian national team’s historic first participation in the World Cup. He highlighted significant challenges, most notably the difficulty some Jordanian fans faced in obtaining entry visas to the United States despite holding match tickets, as well as the high prices of those tickets.
He added that the Jordanian Football Association is also bearing additional financial burdens due to taxes imposed by the U.S. government on participation in the tournament, stressing that these funds should have been directed toward supporting the players and the technical and administrative staff. He further pointed out that these costs were not imposed on teams that played their matches and held their training camps in Canada and Mexico.
Prince Ali clarified that the Jordanian Football Association has been waiting since last December for the financial bonuses owed to the national team after it reached the final of the Arab Cup in Qatar, a tournament organized by FIFA. He noted that the dues have not yet been paid, even as FIFA claims to hold substantial financial reserves.
He confirmed that FIFA has refused, over recent months, to assist the Jordanian Football Association with these and other issues, noting that he received a verbal message during the World Cup suggesting that his support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino would facilitate the resolution of these matters.
Prince Ali stressed that Jordan adheres to ethical values, stating that the Jordanian Football Association did not previously support Infantino and will not do so now, considering the linkage of assistance or issue resolution to political endorsement as amounting to blackmail. He added, “We refuse to submit to this approach,” reaffirming Jordan’s continued commitment to defending its principles and values.
