FIFA Parts Ways With COO Kevin Lamour After Infantino Criticism

By Dorcas Francis Koji

FIFA has ended its working relationship with Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour, less than three weeks after the senior official publicly criticised President Gianni Infantino over a controversial proposal involving the commercial and ticketing rights of FIFA competitions.

FIFA confirmed on Monday that Lamour’s tenure as COO had come to an end, with the decision coming shortly after his outspoken comments about the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative.

According to BBC Sport, a FIFA spokesperson confirmed the development, saying: “The working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026.”

The governing body also thanked Lamour for his two years of service.

Lamour had openly questioned the FFE proposal, describing it as “the project of one person” and claiming that FIFA’s administration had been “deceived” about the initiative.

He also took aim at Infantino’s leadership, arguing that the FIFA president should focus on bringing people together.

“A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite,” Lamour said.

The FFE proposal became a major source of tension within world football after plans emerged for FIFA to sell a 21 per cent stake in the proposed company to private investment firms.

Several major football bodies opposed the plan, including UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation.

UEFA was also reported to have threatened to boycott the World Cup if the controversial proposal proceeded, adding further pressure on FIFA to abandon the initiative.

The dispute has since developed into a wider challenge to Infantino’s leadership and his bid to secure a fourth term as FIFA president.

UEFA and Concacaf have withdrawn their support for Infantino’s re-election, while the Scottish Football Association also announced on Monday that it was ending its backing.

Scotland joined England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in withdrawing support for the FIFA president.

Despite the growing opposition from European and North American football authorities, Infantino continues to enjoy the backing of the confederations representing Africa, South America and Oceania.

Lamour’s departure therefore adds another significant development to an increasingly contentious period for FIFA leadership, with questions over governance, commercial structures and Infantino’s future at the organisation continuing to dominate the football administration landscape.