FIFA today, Thursday, transferred the financial dues owed to the Jordan national team for its participation in the Arab Cup 2025.
Jordan had finished runners-up at the tournament, held in Qatar, losing the final to Morocco.
Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, president of the Jordan Football Association, wrote on X: "I extend my thanks to the FIFA administration for carrying out this morning, and unexpectedly, the transfer of the financial dues for our players and members of the technical staff, in return for the Jordan national team's qualification to the Arab Cup final in Qatar last December."
He continued: "These dues were supposed to be paid eight months ago, and although this step is a positive development for our players, it does not change the serious concerns we share with many of those working in the world of football regarding the leadership of the International Football Federation, nor does it erase what our national associations have been subjected to in the past."
His verdict was blunt. "Indeed, what happened is clear evidence of the nature of the difficulties we all face, which are often linked to the FIFA presidential elections, and it does not change my clear position on FIFA's leadership, as my national association and I will not support Gianni Infantino, and we will not vote for him."
Earlier, Prince Ali had revealed that FIFA subjected him to blackmail to make him publicly announce his support for Infantino.
He wrote at the time: "We were taxed by the US government, via FIFA, because of our participation in the World Cup, and we are still waiting for the payment of our players' bonuses relating to the Arab Cup tournament in Qatar, a tournament organised by FIFA."
The pressure, he claimed, ran for months. "For months, FIFA refused to help us with these issues and others, until I was informed verbally during the World Cup that my support for Infantino would greatly contribute to helping our national association."
Pride in his association's stance came through in what followed. "We in Jordan take pride in holding on to ethical values. We did not support Infantino in the past, and we certainly will not support him now. But the whole situation amounts to blackmail, and we refuse to submit to such practices."