FIFA president Infantino faces blackmail allegations and re-election challenges
Consensus Summary
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing mounting pressure over allegations of blackmail and a failed private equity plan. Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, Jordan’s football federation president and a former FIFA vice-president, accused Infantino’s administration of withholding $4.2 million in prize money for Jordan’s final appearance in last year’s FIFA Arab Cup, held last December in Qatar. Prince Ali, who placed third in the 2016 FIFA presidential election against Infantino, claimed FIFA threatened to withhold financial support unless Jordan endorsed Infantino’s re-election bid. Infantino’s authority has been further weakened by the withdrawal of key allies, including UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation, as well as European federations like England, Wales, Finland, and Serbia. The FIFA Forward Enterprise, a controversial plan to sell stakes in World Cup profits, was abandoned after criticism from senior figures like Arsène Wenger and Mattias Grafström. With a November 18 deadline for candidate declarations and an election set for March 18 in Rabat, Morocco, Infantino’s 11-year presidency is now in jeopardy as global football leaders demand transparency and accountability.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Prince Ali bin Al Hussein accused FIFA of blackmail for withholding prize money of $4.2 million for Jordan's final appearance in last year's FIFA Arab Cup (held last December in Qatar)
- Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, head of Jordan's football federation, placed third in a five-candidate FIFA presidential contest in February 2016 when Gianni Infantino was first elected
- FIFA has set a November 18 deadline for candidates to declare for the election by 211 member federations on March 18 in Rabat, Morocco
- Prince Ali bin Al Hussein served on FIFA's ruling executive committee from 2011-15 and stood against then-president Sepp Blatter in a May 2015 election
- Jordan made its debut in the World Cup in June this year
- FIFA president Gianni Infantino is under pressure to save his 11-year presidency amid backlash over his failed plan to sell a stake in future World Cup profits
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The 2025 FIFA Arab Cup was set to pay $4.2 million to the beaten finalist, Jordanian media reported last year
- FIFA brags about how many billions they have in reserve
- UEFA is threatening a boycott of FIFA games, events, and meetings, with the leadership of CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation also speaking out against Infantino
- The proposal underwritten by Joshua Kushner's Thrive Eternal fund would have paid $20 million each to Jordan and all other FIFA members had they accepted by a September 19 deadline
- Mr Infantino had seemed a lock to be re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term leading FIFA through 2031
- Fallout from his secretive private equity plan revealed one week ago has rocked soccer politics
- The vote to re-elect Sepp Blatter was held in the shadow of raids at Zurich hotels two days earlier to arrest football officials as part of investigations by US and Swiss federal agencies
- Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global development, confirmed he was sidelined by Infantino’s plan and called its withdrawal 'absolutely necessary and beyond question'
- Mattias Grafström, FIFA secretary general, called the botched FIFA Forward Enterprise a 'sad and reproachable series of events' in an email to staff
- Greece is the latest federation to pull support for Infantino’s re-election, following England, Wales, Finland, and Serbia
- Wenger assumed his current position in November 2019
- Infantino called FIFA staff to a crisis meeting in Rabat today
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The ABC states the FIFA Arab Cup prize money was withheld for 'last year's FIFA Arab Cup,' while the Guardian refers to it as 'last year' without specifying the year, but both imply the same event
- The ABC mentions a 'third' candidate in the 2016 FIFA election, while the Guardian states Prince Ali 'finished third,' which aligns but lacks the ABC's specificity of 'five-candidate'
- The ABC specifies the FIFA Arab Cup was held 'last December in Qatar,' while the Guardian only mentions 'last year' and 'December' without specifying Qatar
- The ABC states the FIFA Forward Enterprise was revealed 'one week ago,' while the Guardian does not specify a timeline for its revelation
Source Articles
Embattled FIFA boss faces 'blackmail' allegations from ex-staffer
Former FIFA vice-president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein claims the footballing body withheld prize money from Jordan over an endorsement of Gianni Infantino.
Fifa accused of using ‘blackmail’ to force support for Infantino’s re-election bid
Jordan FA president says Fifa threatened to block funds Secretary general calls selloff plan ‘sad and reproachable’ The Jordan Football Association president, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, has accused Gianni Infantino’s administration of “blackmail”, claiming that Fifa threatened to withhold financial assistance from his federation if it refused to back the president’s bid for re-election. In a major intervention Prince Ali, who ran for the Fifa presidency against Infantino in 2016 and finished thi
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