FIFA has terminated Kevin Lamour from his role as Chief Operating Officer, less than three weeks after he publicly criticized President Gianni Infantino's controversial proposal to sell stakes in the organization's competitions to private investors.
FIFA announced on Monday that its working relationship with Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour has ended as of August 17, 2026. The organization's secretary general Mattias Grafstrom informed staff via email that both parties had "agreed to part ways," though FIFA's official statement provided no explanation for the departure. Lamour, who joined FIFA in November 2024 from his previous position at UEFA, had been in the role for approximately two years.
Lamour's exit comes shortly after he delivered pointed criticism of Infantino's now-abandoned Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. Last month, Lamour characterized the project as "the project of one person" and accused FIFA's administration of being "deceived" about the initiative. In a statement at that time, he suggested that leadership should "bring people together, unite them, and inspire them," implying the organization was experiencing the opposite. Lamour notably stated he was prepared to accept termination if it meant standing by his principles.
The FFE plan sought to create a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights for all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, with a proposal to sell 21 percent to private investment firms. The proposal generated significant opposition from UEFA, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation, leading to its abandonment. Following the plan's failure, both UEFA and Concacaf withdrew their support for Infantino's anticipated re-election bid at the FIFA Congress scheduled for March 2027.
Infantino's position has weakened considerably in recent weeks. Multiple national football associations, including those from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, have withdrawn their endorsement. Notably, some confederations including those representing Africa, South America, and Oceania have maintained their backing, while several individual Concacaf members including Mexico have broken ranks with their confederation to support the FIFA president.
