FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour Leaves After Infantino Criticism

FIFA’s working relationship with chief operating officer Kevin Lamour ended on August 17, less than three weeks after he publicly criticised president Gianni Infantino’s abandoned commercial restructuring proposal. BBC Sport reported that Lamour was sacked, while FIFA’s formal statement confirmed the end of his employment and thanked him for two years of service.

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Secretary general Mattias Grafstrom informed FIFA staff by email on Monday evening that the organisation and Lamour had agreed to separate. In a letter to FIFA Council members seen by BBC Sport, Grafstrom described the move as a considered decision and praised Lamour’s daily commitment. Lamour, who joined FIFA in November 2024 after serving as UEFA’s deputy general secretary, has been approached for comment.

The departure follows Lamour’s criticism of the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, known as FFE. The plan would have created a company to control commercial and ticketing rights for FIFA competitions, including World Cups. It was abandoned after a proposal to sell a 21% stake to private investment companies attracted broad opposition.

Lamour had described FFE as driven by one person and said FIFA’s administration had been misled about the project. He also questioned Infantino’s ability to unite and inspire the organisation, while acknowledging that speaking publicly could cost him his position. BBC Sport said Lamour was not invited to a meeting in Morocco earlier this month where senior executives backed Infantino.

Opposition to FFE included UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation. UEFA threatened to boycott the World Cup if the proposal proceeded, while Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to Infantino, resigned. After the plan was withdrawn, UEFA and Concacaf removed their support for Infantino’s attempt to win a fourth presidential term at the FIFA Congress next March.

The political picture is not uniform across world football. Several Concacaf members, including Mexico, have broken with their confederation and backed Infantino, while the African, South American and Oceanian confederations also support him. The Scottish FA became the latest national body to withdraw its backing on Monday, following England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Football governance charity FairSquare has separately asked FIFA to prevent Infantino from standing for re-election.