Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali bin Hussein has confirmed that FIFA has made an overdue payment to his country's national team, but says Jordan will still not endorse Gianni Infantino for a fourth term as FIFA president.
Prince Ali, who ran against Infantino for the FIFA presidency in 2016, issued a statement earlier this week accusing Infantino of delaying prize money payments and refusing to address the problem unless Jordan endorsed him.
In his statement, Prince Ali highlighted difficulties getting Jordanian fans to attend the World Cup in the United States and the taxing of Jordan's prize money by the host country. He also said Jordan's players were still awaiting payment for reaching the final of the Arab Cup in Qatar last December.
"The money our team should receive for having reached the final has not been delivered yet, while at the same time FIFA brags about how many billions they have in reserve," Prince Ali wrote.
"It is clear the problem really is with leadership. For months, FIFA has been refusing to help us on any of these or other matters - until it was verbally communicated to me during the World Cup that if I endorsed Infantino it would go a long way to helping our FA out."
Payment arrives after eight-month delay
"We pride ourselves in Jordan in upholding ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now," Prince Ali wrote. "But the whole situation amounts to blackmail and we refuse to give in to that."
Prince Ali issued a further statement on Thursday confirming that FIFA had made the payment but said this did not change his concerns about the organisation's leadership.
"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," Prince Ali wrote. "This was funding that should have been received 8 months ago."
"While this is a good development for our players, it does not change the serious concerns we in the football world have regarding the FIFA leadership, nor does it change what our FAs have been subjected to in the past. It is symptomatic of those exact difficulties that we all face, and that are usually linked to the FIFA presidential elections."
"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."
Infantino wins backing at Morocco meeting
FIFA's payment came after Infantino convened an emergency meeting in Morocco on Wednesday, where he was given the "full support" of FIFA's top brass to remain as president.
A lengthy FIFA statement issued late on Wednesday admitted mistakes had been made amid criticism of Infantino's plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup. The governing body apologised in a letter to football associations and said a review would be carried out.
The statement said FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, who had previously criticised Infantino, and other management board members present at the meeting "reaffirmed their full support for the president."
It added: "FIFA will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation. There are always lessons to be learned, and FIFA will continue to improve its processes in light of this experience. In this instance, however, it is important to stress that, although mistakes were made, everything that was done was done in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework."
Figo brands Infantino a 'relic'
The statement came hours after Luis Figo became the latest high-profile figure to call for Infantino's resignation, in a blistering attack in Daily Mail Sport.
Figo described Infantino's now-aborted plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors as "the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed" and a "grubby, underhand plot."
Figo, the former Barcelona and Real Madrid player who initially backed Infantino in 2015, called the Swiss official a "relic who should have no part in football's future" and accused him of "a litany of abuses."
Alongside the World Cup sell-off, Figo referenced the decision to suspend the ban on United States striker Folarin Balogun after his red card at the World Cup, and the half-time show during the final, which he said "broke the laws of the game."
"Infantino has debased the office of FIFA president he promised to elevate," Figo wrote. "He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve."
UEFA and Wenger also distance themselves
Figo's comments followed criticism from UEFA, which said it had lost confidence in Infantino, calling his proposal to sell off commercial and event operations a "shabby, back room, opaque deal."
Grafstrom sent an all-staff memo describing the situation as "sad and reproachable," adding that "individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go." He was later pictured laughing and joking with Infantino at a women's Africa Cup of Nations game following the meeting, ahead of the release of FIFA's statement. Arsene Wenger also distanced himself from Infantino's plans.
Should he survive the controversy, Infantino faces re-election in March and would need 106 votes from FIFA's 211 members to win another term in charge of world football.
