FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour leaves after criticising Infantino

Kevin Lamour has left his position as chief operating officer at FIFA, the organization confirmed Monday. His departure comes less than three weeks after he publicly criticized FIFA President Gianni Infantino over an abandoned proposal to privatize stakes in World Cup competitions.

On July 31, Lamour released a statement to the Associated Press in which he described the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal as "the project of one person" and called on football leaders to "ask themselves the right questions" about the plan. The FFE would have allowed FIFA to make stakes in the World Cup available for private investment.

In his statement, Lamour told AP that staff had been "deceived" by Infantino regarding the FFE plan. He did not elaborate on the specific nature of the deception but indicated broader concerns about how the proposal had been handled within the organization.

A FIFA spokesperson confirmed Lamour's exit in a statement: "FIFA can confirm that the working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as FIFA's Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026. FIFA thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future. No further comment will be made on the matter."

FIFA declined to comment on reports that Lamour had been dismissed. The organization's secretary general, Mattias Grafstrom, informed FIFA staff of Lamour's departure via email on Monday evening.

Lamour had served as chief operating officer for two years before his exit. His public criticism of Infantino marked a rare instance of a senior FIFA official openly challenging the president's initiatives, particularly regarding a proposal that had drawn significant controversy within the soccer governance community.