FIFA pays up on overdue prize money after Jordan ‘blackmail’ remark

What the report says

Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali bin Hussein said players and staff have now received overdue prize money tied to Jordan’s run to the 2025 Arab Cup final in Qatar, after the money had reportedly been pending since December. The update came two days after Ali publicly accused FIFA of “blackmail” amid a wider dispute over FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s leadership and the federation’s recent handling of World Cup-related commercial plans.

According to Al Jazeera’s report, Ali thanked FIFA’s administration for paying what he said was owed to the Jordan national team’s players and coaching staff. He described the late payment as money that should have arrived months earlier and said the episode reflected broader problems in FIFA governance. The Jordan FA president also reiterated that his organization would not endorse Infantino in the next FIFA presidential election.

The article places the dispute in the context of growing friction between FIFA and some confederations and national associations after Infantino backed away from a proposal to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights. FIFA did not comment on Ali’s allegations, but the governing body had earlier apologized to members for mistakes related to the abandoned plan and reaffirmed support for Infantino. The matter matters because it combines a financial issue affecting a national team with the larger political debate over FIFA’s leadership ahead of the March election.