Lamour leaves key Fifa position after criticising Infantino

A former employee of European governing body Uefa, Kevin Lamour had served as Fifa COO since November 2024.

French football executive Kevin Lamour resigned on August 17, 2026, after two years as Fifa's chief operating officer, confirming a report by The Athletic. Lamour, the third-highest-ranking official, cited criticism of Fifa president Gianni Infantino's scrapped private investor plan as the reason for his departure.

The plan involved selling stakes in competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors. Lamour described Infantino's proposal as "the project of one person." He further stated that the time had come for football leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.

Lamour, a former Uefa employee, served as Fifa's COO since November 2024. He was one of the highest-ranking officials to publicly oppose Infantino's plan. Secretary general Mattias Grafstrom and former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger both welcomed the decision to abandon the proposal, deeming it "absolutely necessary."

Infantino's position now faces threats for the first time since his election in 2016. Uefa, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation jointly issued a statement, declaring that football belongs to no individual.

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