FIFA Ends Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour's Tenure

FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour has left the organisation less than two years after moving from UEFA. The Guardian reported that his departure followed public criticism of president Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell parts of the World Cup to private investors. However, the newspaper said the precise circumstances of Lamour's dismissal were unclear, and FIFA did not state a reason when confirming the end of the working relationship.

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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 accused Infantino of acting as though he embodied the organisation rather than serving it. The plan was shelved within hours of Lamour speaking out on 31 July. His objections therefore preceded both the withdrawal of the scheme and his own departure.

In his statement opposing the plan, Lamour acknowledged that his position could cost him his job. He said he would accept that consequence and would be able to sleep well after taking his stand. Those remarks made his willingness to risk dismissal explicit, but the available reporting does not establish the internal process or the specific basis on which FIFA subsequently ended his employment.

FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom informed staff by email that Lamour was leaving. A FIFA spokesperson confirmed that the organisation's working relationship with Lamour as chief operating officer ended on 17 August 2026. FIFA thanked him for two years of service and wished him well, while saying it would make no further comment on the matter.

Lamour's earlier statement also criticised the treatment of FIFA staff. He said colleagues deserved better than contempt and intimidation, and suggested that many employees no longer felt proud to work for the governing body. On the same day as Lamour's intervention, Carlos Cordeiro, one of Infantino's senior advisers, resigned in protest over the president's proposals, according to The Guardian.

Before joining FIFA, Lamour had served as UEFA's deputy secretary general and had worked at the European governing body since 2007. His history there included a longstanding working relationship with Infantino, who also previously worked at UEFA. The Guardian reported that Infantino remains under pressure following the failure of the investment scheme and that efforts to remove him are continuing. Lamour's exit is the latest senior departure connected to the abandoned proposal.