FIFA dismisses chief operating officer Kevin Lamour following public criticism of Infantino

FIFA dismisses chief operating officer Kevin Lamour following public criticism of Infantino

FIFA has dismissed Kevin Lamour from his position as Chief Operating Officer, the organisation confirmed on 17 August 2026, weeks after he publicly challenged president Gianni Infantino over a controversial plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors.

Lamour's departure came after he accused Infantino of deceiving FIFA staff and questioned the president's leadership. In his public statement, Lamour said FIFA's mission is to serve football, not to serve the personal interests of a person who, unfortunately, believes he embodies FIFA when he is supposed to be at its service.

The dismissal follows Lamour's criticism of the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, which he described as the project of one person while warning that staff deserve better than contempt and intimidation. His statement came hours after Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to Infantino, resigned in protest at the same proposal, calling it a bad deal for football.

The abandoned investment plan

The FIFA Forward Enterprise plan aimed to raise approximately $4.2 billion by selling about 20 percent of a new entity to private investors, valuing it at $20 billion. The lead investor was identified as Thrive Eternal, a New York investment firm founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner.

Under the proposal, each of FIFA's 211 member associations would have received an initial payment of $20 million and further payments totaling $66 million by 2038, with annual stipends doubling to $5 million. Despite these financial incentives, the plan faced overwhelming opposition from major football confederations.

UEFA threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, if the plan proceeded. The Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF also publicly opposed the proposal, forcing Infantino to abandon it.

Background to the dismissal

Lamour joined FIFA in November 2024 after serving as UEFA's deputy general secretary. He previously worked alongside Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafström at UEFA and on Infantino's successful 2016 FIFA election campaign, though he declined to join FIFA at that time.

Grafström, who was formally appointed as FIFA Secretary General in May 2024 after serving as Infantino's Chief of Staff since 2016 and Deputy Secretary General since 2019, notified FIFA staff of Lamour's departure in an email Monday evening, stating the organisation and Lamour had agreed to part ways.

Lamour reported two levels below Infantino within FIFA's management structure and was not invited to a meeting in Morocco earlier this month where Infantino secured support from senior executives.

Uncertainty over Infantino's future

The fallout from the abandoned commercial plan has significantly weakened Infantino's position ahead of next year's presidential election. UEFA and several other major football bodies have withdrawn their support, creating genuine uncertainty over his prospects for re-election.

Infantino was elected unopposed in both 2019 and 2023 through acclamation, but won his first election in 2016 in a contested vote with 115 votes in the second round, defeating Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa. The last contested FIFA presidential election took place eight years ago.

FIFA presidential candidates must receive formal backing from at least five of FIFA's 211 member associations and have been actively involved in association football for at least two of the previous five years. The nomination deadline falls on 18 November 2026.

If Infantino wins the 2027 election, he will be ineligible to contest again in 2031 due to FIFA's term-limit rules, which restrict presidents to three four-year terms spanning 12 years maximum. However, he still retains support from influential federations, particularly in Africa and parts of Asia, meaning removing him would require a significant shift in the balance of power.

A FIFA statement confirmed Lamour's departure, saying:

FIFA thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future.