FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour has been dismissed from his role after publicly criticising FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and other major tournaments to private investors.
The departure, confirmed on 17 August 2026, comes less than three weeks after Lamour issued a strongly worded statement in which he accused Infantino of deceiving FIFA staff over the now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
In that statement, Lamour described the initiative as “the project of one person” rather than a collective FIFA endeavour, argued that staff “deserve better than contempt and intimidation,” and stated that the organisation’s mission is to serve football rather than the personal interests of any individual. He openly acknowledged that speaking out could cost him his job, adding that he was prepared to accept the consequences.
FIFA has confirmed that the working relationship with Lamour ended on that date, thanking him for his roughly two years of service after he joined the organisation in November 2024 from a previous senior role as UEFA’s deputy general secretary.
While the governing body has declined to specify whether the exit was a dismissal or a mutual agreement and has said no further comment will be made, multiple reports indicate he was fired. In a letter sent to members of the FIFA Council, secretary general Mattias Grafström informed them that following recent discussions the two sides had agreed to part ways, noting that “the decision was made after careful consideration and with great respect for Kevin, both personally and professionally.” Staff were also notified of the change via internal email.
Lamour’s exit follows the earlier resignation of Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, who had likewise opposed the sell-off plan. The proposal itself, which envisaged creating a commercial subsidiary valued at around $20 billion and selling a minority stake for roughly $4.2 billion, had already been withdrawn amid widespread opposition from member associations, confederations, fans and others within football.