Top Fifa official leaves after Infantino plan criticism

Fifa's Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour has been dismissed, just days after publicly criticizing President Gianni Infantino's aborted scheme to sell stakes in tournaments to private investors, according to BBC Sport. A Fifa spokesperson only confirmed that Lamour's working relationship as Chief Operating Officer ended on August 17, 2026.

The organization thanked him for his service of two years and wished him well in the future. Lamour joined Fifa in November 2024, previously working at Uefa. Infantino received backing from senior executives earlier this month, but Lamour was not invited. Fifa informed staff in an email that the organization and Lamour had agreed to part ways.

Lamour described the controversial Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) plans as "the project of one person" and said it was time for football leaders to ask the right questions. He added that Fifa's administration had been deceived about the now-abandoned project. Infantino's proposal to create a new company, FFE, to manage commercial and ticketing rights for all FIFA competitions, including World Cups, received widespread criticism.

UEFA, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation publicly opposed the plan, while Uefa threatened to boycott the World Cup if it went ahead. The Scottish FA, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland withdrew their support for Infantino after the proposal was aborted.