FIFA's chief operating officer departs after criticising Infantino's investor plan
FIFA has confirmed that chief operating officer Kevin Lamour has left the organisation after he publicly criticised President Gianni Infantino's now-scrapped plan to bring in private investors. Lamour had been one of the most senior FIFA officials to oppose the proposal.
Frenchman Kevin Lamour is no longer FIFA's chief operating officer. The governing body confirmed on Monday that his working relationship with FIFA ended on August 17, after the departure was first reported by The Athletic and later confirmed by a FIFA spokesperson to AFP.
In its statement, FIFA thanked Lamour for two years of service and wished him well for the future. Lamour, a former UEFA employee, had held the COO role since November 2024 and was FIFA's third-highest-ranking official.
Criticism of the investor plan
Lamour was among the most senior FIFA figures to speak out against Infantino's proposal to sell stakes in competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors — a plan that was subsequently scrapped. He described it as "the project of one person".
In a statement sent to the Associated Press and published on July 31, Lamour said football's political leaders needed to "ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions". He added that if the stance cost him his job, he would understand and respect that outcome.
Secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, seen as Infantino's number two, and chief of global football development Arsene Wenger both later welcomed the decision to abandon the plan, with former Arsenal manager Wenger calling the move "absolutely necessary".
The episode has put Infantino's position under pressure for the first time since he was first elected in 2016. Earlier this month, UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation issued a joint letter stating that "football belongs to no individual".
