{
  "id": 1663798,
  "title": "FIFA sacks top official after Infantino criticism",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/fifa-sacks-top-official-after-infantino-criticism-1663798",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-18T07:46:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/fifa-sacks-top-official-after-infantino-criticism/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "FIFA's Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour, has been sacked. According to a FIFA spokesperson, \"the working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as FIFA's Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026.\" The spokesperson added that FIFA thanks Lamour for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future.\n\nLamour was let go after publicly criticising President Gianni Infantino's plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup and other tournaments. He described the proposal as \"the project of one person\" and said FIFA staff had been \"deceived\" over the plan. This plan, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plans, was later withdrawn by Infantino.\n\nLamour had joined FIFA's senior leadership group in November 2024, having previously been part of the inner circle that campaigned for Infantino's election as FIFA president in 2016. His comments were made last month, and FIFA's staff were informed of his departure in an email by its secretary general Mattias Grafstrom on Monday evening.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 9,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Who is supporting Gianni Infantino? Every country’s stance on Fifa president crisis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/who-is-supporting-gianni-infantino-every-countrys-stance-on-fifa",
        "published": "2026-08-17T13:40:45.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Rights group urges FIFA to block Infantino re-election bid over term limits",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/rights-group-urges-fifa-to-block-infantino-re-election-bid-over-term",
        "published": "2026-08-17T14:02:39.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Rights group urges FIFA to block Infantino re-election bid over term limits",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/rights-group-urges-fifa-to-block-infantino-re-election-bid-over-term-1507096",
        "published": "2026-08-17T15:21:47.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "Lamour leaves Fifa after Infantino plan criticism",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/lamour-leaves-fifa-after-infantino-plan-criticism",
        "published": "2026-08-17T19:52:19.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBC News",
        "title": "FIFA confirms departure of senior executive after Infantino criticism",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/fifa-confirms-departure-of-senior-executive-after-infantino-criticism",
        "published": "2026-08-17T21:03:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "FIFA Chief of Operations Kevin Lamour leaves after criticizing Gianni Infatino",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/fifa-chief-of-operations-kevin-lamour-leaves-after-criticizing-gianni",
        "published": "2026-08-18T05:29:05.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Business Recorder",
        "title": "Senior FIFA official Lamour exits after Infantino criticism",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/senior-fifa-official-lamour-exits-after-infantino-criticism",
        "published": "2026-08-18T06:48:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "FIFA sacks top official after Infantino criticism",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/fifa-sacks-top-official-after-infantino-criticism",
        "published": "2026-08-18T07:42:50.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}