AFC refers Jordan FA chief Prince Ali to judicial bodies after Infantino criticism

The Asian Football Confederation has referred Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali bin Hussein to its judicial bodies, after he publicly accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of hijacking the AFC’s extraordinary congress meeting in Tokyo for political ends.

Infantino appeared at the congress last Friday, where AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa delivered a public endorsement of the FIFA president’s re-election bid. Sheikh Salman told delegates that Asian football was now united behind Infantino — a claim Prince Ali has directly contested.

Following the congress, Prince Ali said no one had been permitted to speak, question, debate, or talk to media, describing the final day as “pure politics.” The AFC rejected this account, stating that neither Prince Ali nor any other member association representative had requested to speak, and that proceedings were conducted properly.

“The AFC takes seriously the unsupported and entirely unsubstantiated allegations of coercion, threats or bribery,” the confederation said in a statement. “Such serious accusations must be supported by credible evidence and should not be made without a proper factual basis. Accordingly, the AFC will refer the statements made by the President of the Jordan Football Association, including the allegations raised, to the relevant AFC judicial bodies for their consideration and any further action deemed appropriate in accordance with the AFC Statutes and applicable regulations.”

The dispute has been building since August, when Prince Ali publicly accused FIFA of blackmail, alleging the organisation offered assistance with Jordan’s outstanding issues in exchange for his endorsement of Infantino. Among the grievances cited was an eight-month wait for prize money owed to the Jordan FA since December, following the country’s appearance in the Arab Cup final in Qatar.

Days after Prince Ali raised the outstanding payments publicly on X, the Jordan FA received the prize money — but the payment did not alter his position. He has continued to withhold his endorsement of Infantino.

The AFC’s move against Prince Ali marks a notable shift in tone from the confederation itself, which as recently as two months ago criticised Infantino over what it called a “fundamental breach of trust” regarding his failed attempt to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Sheikh Salman’s public embrace of Infantino in Tokyo signalled that the AFC leadership had moved on from that dispute — though Prince Ali’s referral to judicial bodies makes clear that not all of its member associations have followed suit.