FIFA sack chief operating officer Kevin Lamour after he criticised Gianni Infantino’s plans to sell part of World Cup to investors

The hierarchy at FIFA has been rocked by the sudden departure of chief operating officer Lamour, who has left his position following a total breakdown in his working relationship with president Infantino.

The exit, which was confirmed on August 17, 2026, follows a series of explosive statements in which Lamour accused the governing body's leadership of a lack of transparency. The dispute centers on the now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, a project that sought to transform how the world's most prestigious football tournament is funded and managed.

In a formal statement addressing the situation, a spokesperson for the governing body confirmed the news to the media, stating: "FIFA can confirm that the working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026. FIFA thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future. No further comment will be made on the matter."

The catalyst for this executive fallout was Lamour’s decision to speak to the Associated Press in late July, where he voiced significant concerns regarding the FFE project. Lamour alleged that the president had not been entirely truthful with the organisation's employees regarding the implications of the deal.

He claimed that staff had been "deceived" by Infantino regarding the FFE plan, which would have seen world soccer’s governing body make stakes in the World Cup available for private investment.

Lamour did not hold back in his assessment of the leadership style currently dominating FIFA headquarters in Zurich. He told the AP: "It is the project of one person. Not only must this project not go ahead … but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions."

These remarks were widely interpreted as a direct challenge to Infantino’s authority, creating an untenable situation for the Frenchman within the executive team. Lamour was fully aware of the professional risks involved in his public defiance, adding: "If that means I lose my job, then so be it."

At the heart of the controversy was a massive financial proposal that would have fundamentally altered the structure of football's global governing body. In July, FIFA announced its plans to sell a significant minority stake in a new entity that it, as a non-profit organisation, was planning to set up to run its main events, such as the World Cups and Club World Cups. The plan involved selling a 20 percent stake in this new commercial arm to an investor group.

The proposed deal was eventually scrapped following a fierce backlash from various stakeholders within the game, who feared the loss of control over football's premier asset. However, the internal damage at FIFA had already been done.

Lamour was a veteran of the football administration world, having previously worked alongside Infantino during their time at UEFA. He joined the European federation in 2007, eventually rising to the position of deputy general secretary before moving to FIFA in November 2024.

During his tenure as COO, he was credited with managing complex stakeholder relationships and delivering several key infrastructure projects. His sudden exit marks the end of a long-standing professional partnership that had spanned nearly two decades across the two most powerful organisations in the sport.

The finality of his departure was communicated to the wider FIFA staff by secretary general Mattias Grafstrom via email. In the internal memo, Grafstrom noted that the decision was made after "careful consideration" and expressed gratitude for Lamour's work on daily operations.