Fifa’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour is out, canned by the governing body on August 17, 2026. This went down less than three weeks after he came out swinging against president Gianni Infantino’s now-abandoned plan to sell off stakes in competitions to private investors. The official word from a Fifa spokesperson was pretty tame, just confirming “the working relationship between Fifa and Kevin Lamour as Chief Operating Officer has ended” and thanking him for his two years. But we all know what’s really up.
The “Agreed to Part Ways” That Was Anything But
Fifa tried to smooth it over, with secretary general Mattias Grafstrom emailing staff to say the organization and Lamour had “agreed to part ways.” Grafstrom even sent a letter to Fifa Council members, echoing the same sentiment and expressing “gratitude” for Lamour’s contributions. Sounds all professional and polite, right? Don’t buy it for a second. This “agreement” comes on the heels of Lamour absolutely torching Infantino’s controversial Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) plans last month. He called it “the project of one person” and straight up said Fifa’s own administration was “deceived” by it. You don’t say stuff like that and just “agree to part ways” without some serious heat. Lamour joined Fifa in November 2024, climbing the ranks from deputy general secretary at Uefa, sitting two layers below Infantino. It’s clear where the power lies.
Lamour’s Stand: “If that means I lose my job, then so be it.”
Lamour didn’t pull any punches, did he? He declared that the “time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.” And then came the real gut punch: “Our mission, the mission of the hundreds of passionate, dedicated, and exemplary Fifa employees, is to serve football. A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite.” Ouch. He even knew what he was risking. Lamour acknowledged his duty of loyalty but also to “certain values” and his colleagues, saying, “If that means I lose my job, then so be it. I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.” Talk about standing your ground. Infantino got backing from senior executives at a meeting in Morocco earlier this month, and guess who wasn’t invited? Lamour, of course.
Infantino’s Shaky Ground
This whole mess traces back to Infantino’s FFE proposal, a plan to create a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights for all Fifa competitions, World Cups included. The scheme to sell 21% of it to private investors got slammed, forcing Infantino to abort it entirely. Uefa, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation publicly opposed it, with Uefa even threatening a World Cup boycott. Infantino’s senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned. After FFE imploded, Uefa and Concacaf withdrew their support for Infantino’s bid for a fourth presidential term next March. While Africa, South America, and Oceania confederations still back him, and a few Concacaf members like Mexico broke ranks to show support, more and more FAs are pulling out. On Monday, the Scottish FA joined England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland in withdrawing support.
So what’s next in this global power play? Infantino’s presidential term comes up for a vote at the Fifa Congress next March. With Uefa and Concacaf already pulling their support, and European FAs like Scotland, England, and Wales lining up against him, the pressure is on. This isn’t just about one guy losing his job, this is about the soul of global football. Get ready, because this battle for leadership is just heating up, and we’ll be watching every twist and turn.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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