Fifa COO Lamour leaves after calling Infantino’s private investor plan a ‘one-person project’
PARIS, Aug 18 — Frenchman Kevin Lamour has left his role as Fifa’s chief operating officer after criticising...
Frenchman Kevin Lamour resigned as Fifa's chief operating officer on August 17, 2026, following his criticism of president Gianni Infantino's scrapped private investor plan, Fifa confirmed. Lamour, the third highest-ranking Fifa official, had served in the role since November 2024. Fifa expressed gratitude for Lamour's two years of service and wished him well for the future.
Lamour, previously an employee of Uefa, was one of the top Fifa officials to oppose Infantino's proposal to sell stakes in competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors. He referred to the plan as "the project of one person." Lamour stated that it was time for football political leaders to reflect and make the right decisions, adding that if it meant losing his job, he would understand and respect that decision.
Secretary general Mattias Grafstrom and chief of global football development Arsene Wenger both welcomed the decision to abandon the proposal, with Wenger calling it "absolutely necessary." The controversy has put Infantino's position under threat for the first time since his election in 2016, leading Uefa, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation to release a joint statement declaring "football belongs to no individual."
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