Jordan FA Chief: AFC Opens Judicial Review Over Infantino Remarks

The Jordan Football Association will fully cooperate with a judicial review opened by the Asian Football Confederation.

Prince Ali bin Hussein, the head of the Jordan FA, announced the decision in a post on X late on Wednesday. He stated that the association respects the AFC and its judicial mechanisms. The Jordan FA intends to vote independently in the upcoming FIFA presidential election, a right granted by FIFA Statutes.

The dispute began last week during an extraordinary AFC congress in Tokyo. Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the AFC president, used the session to endorse FIFA President Gianni Infantino for re-election. Prince Ali claimed that delegates were blocked from speaking, questioning, or debating key issues. He described the final day of proceedings as political maneuvering directed by Infantino.

The AFC issued a statement on Tuesday to clarify the procedural record. The confederation said that neither Prince Ali nor any other member association representative formally requested to speak during the sessions. The AFC noted that allegations of coercion, threats, or bribery are serious but require credible evidence. It confirmed that a judicial panel would examine Prince Ali's specific statements.

Prince Ali explained that his initial comments aimed to clarify the voting process and demand transparency in football governance. He defended his earlier post as a statement of shared principle rather than a direct attack on a specific individual. He argued that no election should involve coercion, threats, or bribery. He indicated he would stop making public comments while the AFC panel considers the matter.

Infantino has served as FIFA president since 2016 and seeks to retain his position in a vote scheduled for March. His bid follows an apology regarding an abandoned proposal to sell a stake in FIFA competitions. The recent AFC endorsement marks a shift from the confederation's stance three months ago, when it accused FIFA of a fundamental breach of trust over that same proposal.

Prince Ali has been a vocal critic of the current FIFA administration. The judicial review will determine if formal sanctions follow the Tokyo statements or if the issue resolves as a governance matter. The outcome may influence how continental congresses handle delegate participation in the future.