FIFA has severed ties with its Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour, weeks after he publicly questioned the leadership of President Gianni Infantino and criticised a controversial plan to commercialise the governing body's competition rights.
FIFA announced on Monday that Lamour's tenure as chief operating officer had ended, bringing his two-year spell with the organisation to a close.
A spokesperson for the football governing body said the working relationship between FIFA and Lamour ended on August 17, 2026, and thanked him for his service.
Lamour's departure comes less than three weeks after he criticised the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a proposed commercial entity that would have managed the organisation's commercial and ticketing rights.
Under the proposal, FIFA planned to sell a 21 per cent stake in the company to private investment firms. The plan, however, encountered strong resistance from several football organisations before being abandoned.
Lamour had described FFE as “the project of one person” and alleged that FIFA's administration had been misled about the initiative.
He also delivered a direct criticism of Infantino's leadership.
“A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite,” he said.
The proposal became a major source of tension within international football, with UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation among those opposing the arrangement.
UEFA was reportedly prepared to boycott the World Cup if FIFA proceeded with the plan, adding to the pressure that eventually contributed to its abandonment.
Infantino faces election pressure
The controversy has also created difficulties for Infantino as he seeks another term as FIFA president.
Support for his re-election has weakened among several European football associations, with the Scottish Football Association announcing on Monday that it had withdrawn its backing.
Scotland joined England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in distancing themselves from Infantino's re-election bid.
However, the FIFA president continues to retain support from the confederations representing Africa, South America and Oceania.
Lamour's exit comes against the backdrop of growing disagreement over FIFA's governance, commercial strategy and the direction of the organisation under Infantino.
His public criticism of the FFE proposal had highlighted concerns over the concentration of decision-making within FIFA's leadership and the level of consultation with other football stakeholders.
With the commercial initiative now abandoned and Infantino facing opposition from parts of European football, Lamour's departure is likely to add another layer to the debate over the FIFA president's leadership ahead of the next presidential election.
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