FIFA COO Kevin Lamour Leaves After Opposing World Cup Investment Plan

FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour has been dismissed after publicly criticizing president Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell interests in the World Cup to private investors, according to reporting by The Guardian. The governing body confirmed that Lamour's employment ended on August 17, 2026, less than two years after he joined FIFA from UEFA.

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Lamour opposed the proposal, known as the FFE scheme, after it became public. He said FIFA's administration had been deceived and argued that Infantino was acting as though he embodied the organization rather than serving it. The investment plan was shelved on July 31, only hours after Lamour spoke out against it.

In his public statement that day, Lamour acknowledged that his position could cost him his job. He said he would accept that consequence and also criticized what he described as contempt and intimidation toward FIFA employees. Lamour added that many staff members no longer appeared able to feel proud of working for the organization.

FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström informed employees by email that Lamour would leave. The precise circumstances surrounding the decision remain unclear. In a statement reported by The Guardian, FIFA said its working relationship with Lamour had ended, thanked him for two years of service and said it would make no further comment.

The departure follows another senior protest over the same proposal. Carlos Cordeiro, one of Infantino's senior advisers, resigned on July 31 in opposition to the plan. Lamour had a long professional connection with Infantino: before moving to FIFA, he served as UEFA's deputy secretary general and had worked at the European governing body since 2007.

Lamour's exit leaves FIFA dealing with the internal consequences of a proposal that was withdrawn shortly after becoming public. The Guardian reported that Infantino remains under pressure following the scheme's failure and that efforts to remove him are continuing. FIFA has not linked Lamour's departure to any specific act, while the timing places it less than three weeks after his criticism and the plan's withdrawal.