FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s adviser Hicham Kharja has described recent European opposition to Infantino as fear of losing dominance. Kharja, FIFA’s director for the Middle East and North Africa, said UEFA’s concern stems from football’s progress in other continents. The report was published on August 9, 2026.

Infantino had proposed selling commercial rights for various FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup. UEFA strongly opposed the plan and had even threatened a World Cup boycott. Infantino later withdrew the proposal after objections from several football bodies. UEFA was subsequently accused of continuing efforts to remove him.

Kharja, a former Morocco international, said many young dual nationals born and trained in Europe now want to represent Morocco. He argued that this trend of players choosing the countries of their roots is unsettling Europe. He also said Infantino’s most vocal critics are European and fear a reduction of their influence in upcoming competition, while seeking to preserve football’s sole dominance.