By Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent
Global football governance has experienced another major leadership upheaval. FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour has left his position following open criticism of president Gianni Infantino. His departure comes less than three weeks after Lamour strongly opposed a controversial plan to sell World Cup competition stakes to private investors.
Internal communications reveal that FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström informed staff of the change via an email on Monday evening. Grafström stated that the organisation and Lamour had agreed to part ways. A formal statement from a FIFA spokesperson confirmed the conclusion of their working relationship, noting that “FIFA can confirm that the working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026. FIFA thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future. No further comment will be made on the matter.”
Grafström also wrote to members of FIFA’s Council in a letter seen by BBC Sport: “I would like to provide you with an important update regarding a change within the FIFA Administration. Following recent discussions, FIFA and our Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour have agreed to part ways. This decision was made after careful consideration and with great respect for Kevin, both personally and professionally… I felt it was important that I personally provide you this update and I would like to express my gratitude to Kevin for these contributions and for his work and commitment on behalf of FIFA on a daily basis. I wish Kevin all the best for the future.”
Inside the Opposition to the FIFA Forward Enterprise Project
The friction centers on the aborted FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme. The proposal sought to establish a new commercial entity managing ticketing and rights for major tournaments, including World Cups and Club World Cups. Infantino intended to sell a significant minority stake of 21% in the new entity to a private investor group led by Thrive Eternal—a U.S. investment fund run by Joshua Kushner, the brother of President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner—for $4.2 billion (£3.1bn). This drew sharp pushback from continental governing bodies.
Lamour did not hold back in his assessment of the initiative. He characterized the scheme as “the project of one person” and stated that “Not only must this project not go ahead … but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.” Lamour also maintained that FIFA administration was deceived regarding the now abandoned project.
The veteran administrator also addressed the internal culture within the governing body. He argued that “Our mission – the mission of the hundreds of passionate, dedicated, and exemplary FIFA employees – is to serve football.” He added that “A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite.” He also noted that staff “deserve better than contempt and intimidation” and that “My feeling is that we all want to be proud to work for FIFA, and today, unfortunately, it seems that is no longer the case for many of us.”
Principles Over Position
Lamour understood the professional risks associated with his public stance. Balancing his duty of loyalty to the employer with allegiance to core values and supporting his colleagues, he accepted the potential consequences.
“If that means I lose my job, then so be it,” Lamour stated. “I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”
The departure mirrors earlier high-level exits tied to the same controversy. Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to Infantino, resigned in protest over the commercial proposals, writing that he could not stand by while FIFA considered selling a stake in the World Cup and calling the subsidiary a bad deal for football. Lamour, who joined FIFA in November 2024 after serving as deputy general secretary at UEFA—having first joined the European body in 2007—found himself increasingly isolated from core leadership circles prior to his exit, notably missing an invitation to a meeting with senior executives in Morocco earlier in the month.
Broader Fallout and Re-Election Pressures
The collapse of the commercial venture has triggered wider political fallout across international football. UEFA, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation publicly opposed the sell-off plan. UEFA even threatened a World Cup boycott if the initiative proceeded.
In the wake of the abandoned proposal, major confederations have fractured regarding Infantino’s bid for a fourth presidential term at the FIFA Congress in March next year. While bodies in Africa, South America, and Oceania maintain their backing, European and select North American associations have pulled their support. Several Concacaf members including Mexico broke ranks with their confederation to offer support for Infantino. Meanwhile, the Scottish FA recently joined England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland in withdrawing endorsement, while football governance charity FairSquare has formally demanded that Infantino be barred from running for re-election.
Navigating Institutional Accountability
As world football confronts deep structural divisions, the unfolding fallout from the FFE project underscores a critical juncture for international sports administration. Balancing commercial expansion with organizational integrity remains a defining test for leadership transparency moving forward.
