Infantino criticism lands Jordan FA chief judicial review with AFC

What the report says

The Asian Football Confederation has opened the door to judicial review after Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali bin Hussein criticized FIFA president Gianni Infantino over last week’s AFC Congress in Tokyo. According to Al Jazeera’s report, Prince Ali said Infantino had turned the meeting into a political event and argued delegates were not given a proper chance to speak or debate. The AFC responded that no member association had formally sought the floor and said claims involving coercion, threats or bribery would need credible evidence.

Prince Ali later said he would cooperate with any AFC process and would make no further comment while the issue is being examined. He also said Jordan’s vote in the FIFA presidential race would be cast independently, and framed his earlier remarks as a defense of transparency in football governance rather than a direct accusation against any one person.

The dispute matters because it comes as Infantino seeks re-election in March and remains a contested figure in global football politics. Al Jazeera noted that AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa had endorsed Infantino at the Tokyo congress, a notable change from the confederation’s earlier criticism of FIFA over the abandoned plan to sell a stake in its competitions. The review highlights continuing tensions over how football’s governing bodies handle internal dissent and election conduct.