Jordanian FA chief accuses FIFA of blackmail amid World Cup woes

Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, president of the Jordanian Football Association, posted a stark warning on X that FIFA was using blackmail to pressure his federation, citing the Forward project leak and the nation’s first World Cup campaign in the United States. The lead anchors Jordanian FA, FIFA and Forward appear in the opening statement.

In his X post, Prince Ali detailed a series of financial and logistical hurdles that have plagued Jordan’s World Cup journey, describing them as coercive tactics by FIFA. He framed the situation as an ethical battle for the Jordanian FA.

Ali highlighted that many Jordanian supporters travelling to the United States could not obtain visas despite holding tickets, which he said were sold at exorbitant prices. The visa denial, he argued, undermined fan participation and added to the federation’s woes.

He added that the U.S. government, through FIFA, imposed taxes on Jordan’s participation, a burden not faced by teams based in Canada or Mexico. This fiscal pressure, diverted money that should have gone to players and staff.

Ali noted that Jordan has been waiting since December for prize money from the Arab Cup in Qatar, a FIFA‑sanctioned event, and that the funds for reaching the final have still not been received. The delayed payment further strained the Jordanian Football Association’s resources.

UEFA warns FIFA and Infantino of legal action over World Cup plan

According to the prince, FIFA officials verbally indicated during the World Cup that endorsing Gianni Infantino would significantly improve the Jordanian FA’s situation, a proposition he rejected. He emphasized that the federation would not trade ethical values for financial relief.

Ali concluded, “We are proud in Jordan to stand up for ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly not now… the whole situation amounts to blackmail and we refuse to give in to it.” The quote underscores the association’s firm stance.

The accusations follow the leak of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, which aimed to create a private company to hold World Cup rights and open its capital to private investors. The Forward initiative has become a focal point of criticism.

The statement arrived hours after former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger publicly distanced himself from Infantino’s project and after Le Monde published an email from FIFA’s number two describing the FFE project as a series of sad and reprehensible events that led to its definitive abandonment. These developments have intensified scrutiny of FIFA and its president.

The juxtaposition of Jordan’s struggle for fair treatment against the broader controversy over FIFA’s commercial ambitions reveals mounting pressure on the governing body and highlights the Jordanian FA’s resolve to resist perceived coercion.