Fifa sack chief operating officer critical of president Gianni Infantino

Fifa's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, has been dismissed weeks after publicly opposing president Gianni Infantino's plan to sell a stake in the governing body's commercial rights business. Fifa announced on Monday that Lamour had ended his working relationship with the organization on August 17, 2026. The 56-year-old Infantino, who has been the head of Fifa since 2016, had initially been re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.

However, his bid for a fourth term now faces significant challenges due to opposition from various confederations. The proposed subsidiary, valued at around $20 billion, aimed to sell up to a 20% stake to private equity investors, potentially raising $4.2 billion. Lamour criticized the plan, stating that it was a "one-person" project and that Fifa staff had been "deceived."

His comments followed the resignation of another senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, who also opposed the plan. Despite the controversy, Infantino remains supported by the African and South American confederations. A human rights organization, FairSquare, has urged Fifa's Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee to rule Infantino ineligible for another term due to alleged breaches of the rules.