Fifa official sacked after Infantino plan criticism

FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour Removed After Public Clash With Infantino

Ninoda.com – FIFA has confirmed the departure of its chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, ending a tenure of roughly two years. The split came less than three weeks after Lamour publicly attacked president Gianni Infantino over the now-abandoned scheme to sell private stakes in the body’s competitions.

A spokesperson for the world governing body stated only that “the working relationship between Fifa and Kevin Lamour as Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026” and added that the organisation “thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future.”

The FFE Controversy That Triggered the Split

At the heart of the dispute was the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal — a plan to establish a new company that would control the commercial and ticketing rights across all FIFA competitions, World Cups included. Infantino had intended to sell a 21% stake in that entity to private investment firms. The scheme drew fierce opposition from continental confederations and was ultimately scrapped.

Uefa, Concacaf (the body governing football across North and Central America and the Caribbean), and the Asian Football Confederation all voiced public opposition. Uefa went further, threatening to boycott the World Cup should the plan proceed.

Lamour’s Public Criticism

In remarks made last month, Lamour labelled the FFE initiative “the project of one person” and urged football’s political leaders to “ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.”

“Our mission – the mission of the hundreds of passionate, dedicated, and exemplary Fifa employees – is to serve football. A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite.”

He went on to say that FIFA’s own administration had been “deceived” about the project. While acknowledging a duty of loyalty to his employer, Lamour insisted he also owed allegiance to “certain values” and to his colleagues.

“If that means I lose my job, then so be it. I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”

How the Departure Was Communicated

Staff learned of the split through an email sent on Monday evening by secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, who described the arrangement as a mutual decision to “part ways.” In a separate letter addressed to members of FIFA’s Council and reviewed by BBC Sport, Grafstrom wrote:

“Following recent discussions, Fifa and our Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour have agreed to part ways. This decision was made after careful consideration and with great respect for Kevin, both personally and professionally… I felt it was important that I personally provide you this update and I would like to express my gratitude to Kevin for these contributions and for his work and commitment on behalf of Fifa on a daily basis. I wish Kevin all the best for the future.”

Lamour’s Background and Position

Lamour joined FIFA in November 2024 after serving as deputy general secretary at Uefa. Within the organisation’s hierarchy he sat two management layers below Infantino. Earlier this month, Infantino gathered senior executives for a meeting in Morocco; BBC Sport was told Lamour was not among those invited. He has been contacted for comment.

Infantino’s Eroding Political Base

The president now faces mounting pressure ahead of his bid for a fourth term at the FIFA Congress in March next year. After the FFE proposal collapsed, both Uefa and Concacaf withdrew their backing for Infantino. Several Concacaf members, including Mexico, broke ranks with their own confederation to continue supporting him, while the confederations of Africa, South America, and Oceania have maintained their endorsement.

A senior adviser to Infantino, Carlos Cordeiro, also resigned in the wake of the controversy. On Monday, the Scottish FA became the most recent national association to pull its support, joining England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland in that move.

Governance charity FairSquare has written to FIFA demanding that Infantino be barred from standing for re-election.