Jordan's FA chief: FIFA pressure is 'blackmail'

Jordan's Football Association President Ali Bin Al-Hussein has leveled serious accusations against FIFA President Gianni Infantino, alleging that he and his organization are attempting to blackmail Jordan into supporting Infantino's re-election bid. Al-Hussein declared that Jordan will not back Infantino, a stance he claims is rooted in ethical principles and a refusal to yield to pressure.

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This situation is nothing but blackmail, and we refuse to bow to it.

Speaking out on social media, Al-Hussein detailed the financial struggles Jordan has faced, particularly in relation to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He highlighted issues such as visa denials for fans despite purchased tickets and the imposition of taxes by the U.S. government on the team's participation. Al-Hussein contrasted Jordan's situation with that of teams competing in Canada and Mexico, implying discriminatory treatment.

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We are a small country with an extremely limited football association budget and have had to contend with enormous obstacles. Not everyone's visa request was approved, even though our fans had tickets, which we know were sold at exorbitant prices.

"This situation is nothing but blackmail, and we refuse to bow to it," Al-Hussein stated, expressing his frustration over FIFA's alleged inaction on their financial claims. He pointed out that the association is still awaiting prize money from the FIFA Arab Cup held in Qatar, despite FIFA's boasts about its substantial financial reserves.

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We were taxed by the U.S. government through FIFA simply for participating. This money should have gone to our players and technical staff. The situation was not like this for teams playing and camping in Canada and Mexico. But because we are in the USA, we are now facing these enormous tax costs just for having participated.

The core of Al-Hussein's accusation is that FIFA, through intermediaries, offered assistance to the Jordanian Football Association contingent upon a public declaration of support for Infantino. He asserted that this alleged quid pro quo is unethical and unacceptable, particularly for a nation proud of its values. Al-Hussein reiterated that Jordan's decision not to support Infantino is final, regardless of the alleged pressure and withheld funds.

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Our team reached the final, and the money it was supposed to receive has not yet been delivered. Yet, the same FIFA boasts about how many billions of dollars it has in its coffers. It is very clear that the problem stems entirely from leadership.