FIFA Sacks Executive After Criticism of Infantino

By Aurax Desk | August 18, 2026 | 3 min read

FIFA has sacked Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour weeks after he publicly criticized President Gianni Infantino over a controversial plan to sell a stake in the organization’s future World Cup commercial revenues. Lamour’s dismissal deepens the fallout from the abandoned investment proposal and comes as opposition to Infantino grows ahead of next year’s FIFA presidential election.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces increased scrutiny following the collapse of the proposed World Cup investment plan.

Lamour, who joined FIFA in November 2024 after previously working at UEFA, publicly challenged Infantino’s proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise in late July. The plan called for the creation of a commercial subsidiary valued at about $20 billion and the sale of up to a 20% stake to private-equity investors, potentially raising about $4.2 billion. Lamour accused FIFA’s leadership of failing to adequately inform staff about the initiative and argued that the proposal should not proceed. Infantino withdrew the plan after opposition from several major football confederations, including UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf.

FIFA confirmed that its employment relationship with Lamour ended Aug. 17 but did not publicly state that his criticism was the reason for his dismissal. Sky News, citing its sources, reported that Lamour was sacked after speaking out against Infantino’s proposal. His departure follows the resignation of senior Infantino adviser Carlos Cordeiro, who also opposed the investment plan, and comes as UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf have called for an independent review of Infantino’s conduct. Several national associations have also raised concerns, while the FIFA president continues to seek another term in an election scheduled for 2027.

Sources: Reuters, The Associated Press, BBC Sport, The Guardian and Sky News.

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