Jordan FA chief says AFC Congress ‘pure politics’ at behest of Infantino
Jordan Football Association head Prince Ali bin Hussein has accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of hijacking the Asian Football Confederation Congress for political purposes ahead of his re-election bid.
The head of Jordan's Football Association (JFA), Prince Ali bin Hussein, has accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of hijacking the Asian Football Confederation Congress for political purposes ahead of his re-election bid for a fourth term. At the AFC's extraordinary congress in Tokyo on Friday, its president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa endorsed Infantino's bid for re-election as FIFA president.
Congress Criticism
Months after the confederation accused Infantino of a "fundamental breach of trust" over the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, Sheikh Salman told the congress that Asia was now united behind Infantino. However, JFA's Prince Ali painted a starkly different picture of events in Tokyo.
Having come back from Tokyo where the AFC Congress took place, the first two days were about football, which we all serve. The last day was pure politics at the behest of Gianni Infantino
Lack of Transparency
Prince Ali claimed that contrary to reports suggesting Asian unity on the FIFA presidency, "nobody was allowed to speak, question, debate or talk with the media" at the congress. "Lack of transparency leads to lack of accountability. No amount of coercion, threats or bribes should be allowed," he wrote on X.
The Jordan FA chief did not elaborate on his statement. Al Jazeera reached out to FIFA and the AFC for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication. Infantino also addressed the AFC Congress, giving Sheikh Salman his backing for another term.
Previous Tensions
In August, Prince Ali launched a public attack on Infantino, accusing him of "blackmail" and saying FIFA had offered to help solve the kingdom's problems in exchange for his endorsement. Two days later, Prince Ali confirmed Jordan's players and staff had received outstanding reward money for their participation in the 2025 Arab Cup.
On Saturday, Infantino laughed off questions about whether he had considered resigning in the wake of the failed FFE proposal, pointing to what he described as overwhelming support from member associations around the globe. The Swiss-Italian administrator's re-election prospects were strengthened significantly after the AFC endorsement, leaving Europe increasingly isolated and exposing the lack of a challenger.
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