FIFA has confirmed the departure of Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour after his public opposition to president Gianni Infantino’s now-abandoned plan to sell a stake in the World Cup. Lamour’s exit marks the latest fallout from the controversy, with growing pressure on Infantino following the collapse of the proposal.
FIFA confirmed on Monday that its working relationship with Lamour had ended on 17 August 2026, following two years in the COO role. While the governing body thanked him for his service and declined further comment, secretary general Mattias Grafström told staff and Council members that the decision was mutually agreed after recent discussions, highlighting Lamour’s contributions to improving FIFA’s relationships with stakeholders and delivering major projects.
The roots of Lamour’s departure lie in the controversy surrounding Infantino’s now-abandoned plan to sell a minority stake in FIFA’s tournament business to private investors. After details of the proposal emerged in late July, the move faced fierce resistance from senior figures inside the organisation and major football stakeholders, creating one of the biggest leadership crises of Infantino’s presidency.
Rather than step back, Lamour publicly challenged Infantino’s approach. In a statement to the Associated Press, he accused FIFA’s leadership of failing to provide transparency over the proposal, calling it “the project of one person” and urging football’s decision-makers to address the issue directly. The COO acknowledged that his criticism could cost him his role, but said he was prepared to accept that outcome.
The backlash intensified when FIFA senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned just hours before Lamour’s public criticism, calling on other officials to voice their concerns over the proposal. His resignation set off a chain of events that exposed deep divisions within FIFA, with Lamour becoming the latest senior figure to leave the organisation amid the fallout from Infantino’s abandoned plan.
Beyond the fallout from Lamour’s departure, the controversy has raised broader questions about Infantino’s grip on power at FIFA. An open letter accusing the president of deception has reportedly been circulated among member associations, with some governance figures seeing it as a signal for him to consider stepping aside. At the same time, FairSquare has taken a formal route by asking FIFA’s governance committee to rule on whether Infantino is eligible to seek another term in 2027, arguing that his initial tenure from 2016 to 2019 should count under the organisation’s presidential term-limit rules.
FIFA has yet to announce Lamour’s successor and insists it will not comment further on the circumstances of his exit. However, the departures of two senior figures, coupled with rising criticism from parts of the football community, have intensified scrutiny of Infantino’s leadership ahead of the 2027 presidential election, leaving FIFA facing one of its most significant internal challenges in years.
Lamour’s exit represents the most visible consequence of Infantino’s failed attempt to open FIFA’s biggest competition to private investment. What began as a commercial ambition has evolved into a leadership crisis, leaving the FIFA president facing questions that extend far beyond the abandoned World Cup plan.
