FIFA pays up on overdue prize money after Jordan ‘blackmail’ remark
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Original Source
Jordan's players and coaching staff have received overdue prize money for their 2025 Arab Cup participation, two days after the Jordanian Football Association's president accused FIFA of blackmail. The payment comes amid a broader crisis over FIFA President Gianni Infantino's abandoned World Cup commercialization proposal.
Jordan’s players and staff have received outstanding reward money for their participation in the 2025 Arab Cup, the Jordan Football Association’s president, Prince Ali bin Hussein, says, two days after he accused FIFA of blackmail.
Ali criticised FIFA President Gianni Infantino after he backed out of his proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup and found himself under pressure from confederations and national associations, saying FIFA had offered to help solve the kingdom’s problems in exchange for his endorsement.
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One of the problems he listed was that the association had been waiting since December for prize money for reaching the Arab Cup final in Qatar.
“Thank you to the FIFA administration for suddenly this morning delivering what was owed to our players and coaching staff, for the Jordan National team’s accession to the final of the FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar last December,” Ali said on X on Thursday.
“This was funding that should have been received eight months ago.”
Ali had alleged FIFA verbally communicated during the World Cup that backing the president “would go a long way to helping our FA out”.
FIFA did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations.
Ali added that receiving the money was a welcome development but it would not change the concerns his organisation has about FIFA’s leadership.
“It is symptomatic of those exact difficulties that we all face and that are usually linked to the FIFA presidential elections,” he added.
“And it does not change my clear position concerning the leadership of FIFA: my FA and I will not endorse President Infantino, nor will we vote for him.”
FIFA apologised to its members for mistakes made over its abandoned proposal to sell commercial rights to the World Cup, but the body’s leadership reaffirmed its support for Infantino after a crisis meeting in Morocco on Wednesday.
Infantino is seeking to extend his decade-long presidency into a fourth and final term in an election scheduled for March.
Ali criticised FIFA President Gianni Infantino after he backed out of his proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup and found himself under pressure from confederations and national associations, saying FIFA had offered to help solve the kingdom’s problems in exchange for his endorsement.
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list of 4 items
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list 2 of 4UEFA’s threatened legal action against Infantino and FIFA: What we know
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list 4 of 4UEFA confirms legal letter served to FIFA after Infantino’s World Cup plan
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One of the problems he listed was that the association had been waiting since December for prize money for reaching the Arab Cup final in Qatar.
“Thank you to the FIFA administration for suddenly this morning delivering what was owed to our players and coaching staff, for the Jordan National team’s accession to the final of the FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar last December,” Ali said on X on Thursday.
“This was funding that should have been received eight months ago.”
Ali had alleged FIFA verbally communicated during the World Cup that backing the president “would go a long way to helping our FA out”.
FIFA did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations.
Ali added that receiving the money was a welcome development but it would not change the concerns his organisation has about FIFA’s leadership.
“It is symptomatic of those exact difficulties that we all face and that are usually linked to the FIFA presidential elections,” he added.
“And it does not change my clear position concerning the leadership of FIFA: my FA and I will not endorse President Infantino, nor will we vote for him.”
FIFA apologised to its members for mistakes made over its abandoned proposal to sell commercial rights to the World Cup, but the body’s leadership reaffirmed its support for Infantino after a crisis meeting in Morocco on Wednesday.
Infantino is seeking to extend his decade-long presidency into a fourth and final term in an election scheduled for March.
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Tags:#الفيفا#الأردن#جياني إنفانتينو#كأس العرب#الرياضة الدولية#كرة القدم
Source: Al Jazeera
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