Talk to Al Jazeera

Prince Ali of Jordan: ‘Bring back FIFA’s reputation’

The FIFA presidential candidate explains why he is challenging Sepp Blatter and how he plans to reform the organisation.

In May 2015, the international football association, FIFA, will elect a president for the next four years.

Current FIFA President Sepp Blatter has been in power since 1998, and under his stewardship there have been serious allegations of corruption. The most recent of these allegations have involved the bids for the Football World Cup in 2018 and 2022, leading to an internal investigation by the lawyer Michael Garcia.  

There needs to be a change in FIFA. We need to bring back its reputation.... It's time that we have proper transparency and reform.

by Prince Ali of Jordan, FIFA presidential candidate

The man expected to be Sepp Blatter’s main opposition is Prince Ali of Jordan.

Appointed head of the Jordan Football Association in his mid-20s, Prince Ali has been involved in football for 14 years.

Now a FIFA vice president, his growing influence was demonstrated in 2012 when he was instrumental in the decision to allow the hijab in football.

In January, he announced he would stand for FIFA president and he is building his candidacy on the perceived need for more transparency and change.

But football matters and his FIFA presidential campaign were put on hold after the killing of Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kassasbeh by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

As a member of royalty – he is the brother of Jordan’s King Abdullah – and having been at al-Kassasbeh’s graduation, the pilot’s death personally impacted Prince Ali.

His task in football is not to convince the public that he is the man to lead FIFA, but to convince the 209 national member associations. And ousting Blatter is no easy challenge.

Jordan’s Prince Ali talks to Al Jazeera about his FIFA presidential bid, challenges facing the organisation, the 2018/2022 World Cup bidding process, and his vision for the future of FIFA and football.