Senior FIFA official Lamour exits after Infantino criticism
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- FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour has left the organization weeks after publicly criticizing President Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in World Cup commercial rights.
- His departure comes amid growing opposition to Infantino ahead of the FIFA presidential election.
FIFA has confirmed the departure of Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour, weeks after he publicly criticized President Gianni Infantino’s controversial plan to sell stakes in the commercial rights to the World Cup.
A FIFA spokesperson said Monday that the working relationship between the organization and Lamour ended on August 17, 2026.
“FIFA can confirm that the working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as FIFA’s chief operating officer has ended on 17 August 2026,” the spokesperson said. “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.”
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström reportedly told staff that the two sides had mutually agreed to part ways.
Lamour had openly criticized Infantino’s proposal before leaving FIFA, saying staff had been “deceived” and describing the plan as “the project of one person.”
“My feeling is that we all want to be proud to work for FIFA, and today, unfortunately, it seems that is no longer the case for many of us,” Lamour said.
Lamour joined FIFA in 2024 and had previously supported Infantino’s successful 2016 campaign for the FIFA presidency.
His departure follows the resignation of senior Infantino adviser Carlos Cordeiro, who also opposed the commercial proposal and described it as “a bad deal for football.”
Infantino’s plan involved creating a $20 billion subsidiary to manage FIFA tournaments, with a 20% stake to be sold to private equity investors in a bid to raise approximately $4.2 billion.
The proposal triggered significant opposition within FIFA and beyond. Infantino later withdrew the plan following the backlash.
The controversy has added to pressure on Infantino ahead of his bid for a fourth term as FIFA president, with opposition to his leadership growing within football’s governing body.
