FIFA has ended its relationship with Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour, just weeks after he publicly questioned President Gianni Infantino over a controversial commercial venture that was eventually shelved.
The football governing body confirmed on Monday that Lamour was no longer serving as COO, bringing his two-year tenure at FIFA to an abrupt end.
A FIFA spokesperson said, “The working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026,” while thanking him for his service to the organisation.
Lamour had been openly critical of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a planned company that was expected to oversee the commercial and ticketing rights of FIFA competitions.
Describing the initiative as “the project of one person”, Lamour also alleged that FIFA’s administration had been “deceived” over the proposal.
His criticism extended to Infantino’s leadership. Lamour said, “A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite.”
The FFE plan collapsed after FIFA faced strong resistance to a proposal to sell a 21 per cent stake in the company to private investment firms.
Several football authorities, including UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation, opposed the arrangement. UEFA was also reported to have considered boycotting the World Cup if the plan was approved.
The dispute has coincided with growing opposition to Infantino’s bid for a fourth term as FIFA president. UEFA and Concacaf have withdrawn their backing, while the Scottish Football Association announced on Monday that it was also ending its support.
Scotland has joined England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in withdrawing support for Infantino.
Despite the setbacks, Infantino continues to enjoy backing from the football confederations representing Africa, South America and Oceania.
