Kevin Lamour sacked by Fifa after criticising Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan

Kevin Lamour, Fifa’s chief operating officer, was dismissed by Fifa on 17 August 2026 after he publicly criticised Gianni Infantino’s proposal to sell parts of the World Cup. The departure follows Lamour’s outspoken comments about the scheme and comes less than two years after he joined Fifa from Uefa.

Lamour had spoken out against Infantino’s FFE proposal after it became public, saying Fifa’s administration had been “deceived” and that the president “believes he embodies Fifa when he is supposed to be at its service”. The plan was shelved hours after Lamour’s remarks on 31 July, according to the record of events in his public statements.

In a statement that preceded his exit Lamour said: “If that means I lose my job, then so be it,” and added, “I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.” He also said his colleagues “deserve better than contempt and intimidation” and wrote: “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.”

The precise circumstances of his sacking are unclear but the Fifa secretary general, Mattias Grafström, informed staff in an email that Lamour would be leaving the organisation. A Fifa spokesperson said: "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."

Lamour had been Uefa’s deputy secretary general before joining Fifa and first joined the European body in 2007. His exit is notable given his longstanding working relationship with Infantino, with whom he also worked at Uefa. On the same day one of Infantino’s senior advisers, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned in protest at Infantino’s proposals.

Infantino continues to be under huge pressure after the failure of his scheme. Efforts to force his removal are continuing.