The Jordanian Football Association (JFA) has received an eight-month overdue payment from FIFA, but has stated that the organization will not back FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The JFA president, Prince Ali bin Hussein, confirmed the payment but maintained his organization's stance against Infantino, whom he previously accused of "blackmail."

Prince Ali, who ran against Infantino for the FIFA presidency in 2016, had earlier in the week released a statement detailing his accusations. He alleged that Infantino delayed prize money payments and refused to resolve the issue unless Jordan endorsed him for a fourth term as president. The JFA players and coaching staff were awaiting payment for reaching the final of the FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar in 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."

He added, "We pride ourselves in Jordan in upholding ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now. But the whole situation amounts to blackmail and we refuse to give in to that."

In an update, Prince Ali confirmed the payment, stating, "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. This was funding that should have been received 8 months ago."

He further elaborated that while the payment is a positive development for the players, it does not alter the "serious concerns" the JFA has regarding FIFA's leadership. "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."

FIFA's action follows an emergency meeting in Morocco, where Infantino reportedly received "full support" from top FIFA officials. A statement from FIFA acknowledged that mistakes were made and apologized to football associations, promising a review. The statement also asserted that FIFA would "no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity" and would "take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation."

Infantino has faced significant criticism, including from former football star Luis Figo, who described Infantino's plan to sell stakes in the World Cup as "the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behavior I have ever witnessed." UEFA also expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino, calling his proposal a "shabby, back room, opaque deal."

FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom, who had previously described the situation as "sad and reproachable," was seen with Infantino at a women's Africa Cup of Nations game shortly before the FIFA statement was released.

If Infantino seeks re-election in March, he would require 106 votes from FIFA's 211 members to secure another term.