前FIFA副主席Prince Ali指责现任主席因蒂尼奥领导的FIFA以扣留奖金作为筹码，试图换取其对因蒂尼奥连任的支持。[1]根据Prince Ali的说法，约旦国家队因阿拉伯杯决赛亚军应获得的420万美元奖金至今未被支付。[1]Prince Ali表示，自己在世界杯期间被告知"如果支持因蒂尼奥，这将大大帮助我们的足协"，他对此回应称"整个情况等同于勒索，我们拒绝屈服"。[1]
因蒂尼奥当前面临连任压力，其私募融资计划遭到全球足坛领导人的广泛反对。[1]该融资计划由Joshua Kushner的Thrive Eternal基金支持，承诺向接受该计划的FIFA成员国各支付2000万美元，截止日期为9月19日。[1]欧洲足联UEFA已威胁抵制FIFA比赛、活动和会议，北美足协CONCACAF和亚洲足联也已发表反对立场。[1]FIFA主席选举报名截止日期为11月18日，211个成员联合会将于3月18日在摩洛哥拉巴特进行投票。[1]
Former FIFA Vice President Prince Ali has alleged that the soccer governing body, under the leadership of President Gianni Infantino, is using withheld prize money as leverage to gain his backing for Infantino's reelection bid.[1] According to Prince Ali, Jordan's national team has not received $4.2 million in prize money owed for finishing as runner-up in the Arab Cup.[1] Prince Ali stated that during the World Cup, he was told that supporting Infantino "will greatly help our federation," characterizing the situation as coercive.[1]
Prince Ali described the conduct as "equivalent to blackmail" and declared that his federation refuses to submit to such pressure.[1]
The accusations emerge amid mounting opposition to Infantino's proposed private fundraising plan, which is backed by Joshua Kushner's Thrive Eternal fund and would distribute $20 million to each FIFA member nation that accepts it, with a September 19 deadline.[1] UEFA has threatened to boycott FIFA matches, activities, and conferences over the proposal, while CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation have also expressed opposition.[1]
The FIFA presidential election registration deadline is November 18, with voting by the 211 member federations scheduled for March 18 in Rabat, Morocco.[1]