FIFA Sacks Top Executive Who Criticised Infantino’s World Cup Sale Plan
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Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour has left FIFA weeks after publicly attacking President Gianni Infantino’s now-abandoned plan to sell World Cup stakes to private investors.
FIFA has parted ways with its Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour, weeks after he publicly criticised President Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell a stake in the governing body’s tournament business — including the World Cup — to outside investors.
“FIFA can confirm that the working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026,” a FIFA spokesperson said, thanking him for his service and declining further comment.
Lamour had told the Associated Press in late July that FIFA staff felt “deceived” over the plan, describing it as “the project of one person.” His comments came shortly after senior Infantino adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned in protest, calling the proposal “a bad deal for football.”
The now-scrapped plan sought to create a roughly $20 billion FIFA subsidiary and sell up to a 20% stake to external investors. It triggered fierce backlash from bodies including UEFA, which threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, prompting FIFA to withdraw the proposal.
