FIFA has sacked its chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, less than three weeks after he openly attacked President Gianni Infantino over an abandoned plan to sell a stake in a firm that would oversee the commercial and ticketing rights of FIFA competitions.
FIFA acknowledged on Monday that its working connection with Lamour had ended, according to BBC Sport, which reported that the decision came after his criticism of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise program.
A FIFA spokesperson said, “The working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as Chief Operating Officer ended on 17 August 2026,” adding that the governing body thanked him for his two years of service.
Lamour described the FFE proposal as “the project of one person” and claimed FIFA’s administration had been “deceived” about the initiative.
He also condemned Infantino’s leadership, saying, “A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite.”
The proposed FFE corporation was abandoned after many football groups expressed resistance to proposals to sell 21% of it to private investment firms.
UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation all rejected the concept, with UEFA even threatening to boycott the World Cup if it went ahead.
The issue has also hampered Infantino’s campaign for a fourth term as FIFA president, with UEFA and CONCACAF withdrawing their support for his re-election.
The Scottish Football Association, along with England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, withdrew their support for Infantino on Monday.
However, the confederations representing Africa, South America, and Oceania have continued to back Infantino.
