AFC refers Prince Ali to judicial bodies after accusations against Gianni Infantino

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has referred Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein to its judicial bodies after he accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of using an AFC conference for political purposes and dismissed it as a “political show”.

The decision follows comments made by Prince Ali after the AFC’s extraordinary congress in Tokyo on Friday. The AFC confirmed, according to Reuters, that its judicial bodies would examine his remarks and the allegations he made.

At the Tokyo congress, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa announced his full support for Infantino’s bid to be re-elected as FIFA president, saying Asia was now united behind him.

That position marked a notable change from three months earlier, when the AFC itself accused Infantino of a “serious breach of trust” over a cancelled proposal by FIFA Forward Enterprise to sell a stake in FIFA competitions.

Following the conference, Prince Ali claimed that participants had not been given the opportunity to contribute to proceedings.

“No one was allowed to speak, ask questions, debate or engage with the media,” he said, describing the final day of the congress as “merely a political show”.

AFC rejects allegations

The AFC responded with a strongly worded statement, denying Prince Ali’s claims. It said neither he nor any representative of another member association had requested to speak, and rejected any suggestion that the proceedings had involved wrongdoing.

“The AFC takes seriously unsupported allegations of coercion, threats or bribery,” the statement said. “These serious accusations must be supported by credible evidence and should not be made without a sound factual basis.”

It added: “Accordingly, the AFC will refer the statements of the president of the Jordan Football Association, including the allegations raised, to the appropriate judicial bodies of the AFC for their consideration and any further action they deem appropriate under the AFC Statutes and applicable regulations.”

The referral places Prince Ali’s dispute with Infantino before the AFC’s formal disciplinary and judicial processes, although the source article does not specify what action could follow.

Previous criticism of Infantino

Prince Ali has previously made public attacks on the FIFA president. In August, he accused Infantino of “blackmail” and claimed FIFA had offered to help resolve problems affecting the kingdom in exchange for his political support.

Those earlier allegations have now resurfaced alongside the dispute over the Tokyo congress, creating renewed tension within Asian football over the relationship between FIFA and the AFC and the independence of Asian football’s decision-making.