FIFA has dismissed its chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, less than three weeks after he publicly condemned president Gianni Infantino’s abandoned plan to sell stakes in competitions to private investors, BBC Sport has confirmed.
A FIFA spokesperson confirmed the departure in a brief statement.
“The working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as 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.”
Staff were informed of the decision on Monday evening via an email from secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, who described it as a mutual agreement to “part ways.”
Coincidence or Not?
The timing leaves little room for ambiguity. Last month, Lamour delivered one of the most pointed public criticisms of Infantino to come from within the organisation itself. He described the FIFA Forward Enterprise plans as “the project of one person” and saying FIFA’s own administration had been “deceived” about it. He accused Infantino of failing in the basic duty of leadership.
“A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite,” he said.
Lamour did not disguise the personal risk he was taking.
“If that means I lose my job, then so be it,” he said at the time. “I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”
He acknowledged a duty of loyalty to his employer but said he also had obligations to certain values and to the colleagues he worked alongside.
Lamour had joined FIFA in November 2024, having previously served as deputy general secretary at UEFA. He sat two management layers below Infantino. Earlier this month, Infantino received backing from senior executives at a meeting in Morocco. BBC Sport was told Lamour was not invited.
Grafstrom’s letter to FIFA Council members, seen by BBC Sport, described the departure in diplomatic terms. Further citing “careful consideration” and expressing gratitude for Lamour’s contributions.
Lamour said he would lose his job for speaking honestly. FIFA has confirmed that he was correct.
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