FIFA made the decision to part ways with COO Lamour a few weeks after he spoke out against Gianni Infantinos cancelled private investment plan. This has led to questions, about leadership how the organization is run and how people who disagree with the direction are handled at the top of world football.

FIFA has ended its relationship with the operating officer, Kevin Lamour less than three weeks after he publicly questioned the president, Gianni Infantino about a plan to bring private investment into FIFA competitions. The organization confirmed that the working relationship was over, on August 17 2026 but did not offer any other details.

Lamour chose to speak when others stayed quiet

Lamour joined FIFA in November 2024 after previously working as deputy general secretary at UEFA. His departure comes shortly after he strongly criticized the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a proposed company that would have managed the commercial and ticketing rights of FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.

Lamour described the proposal as “the project of one person” and said FIFA’s own administration had been “deceived” about the plan. He also made it clear that he was prepared to accept the consequences of speaking publicly.

“If that means I lose my job, then so be it. I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight,” Lamour said.

The FIFA plan was facing a lot of opposition. The UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation all had concerns about the plan. They did not like the idea of selling part of the company to investors so the plan was abandoned.

However, now people are talking about Kevin Lamour leaving FIFA. Football and human rights groups are wondering what this says about the culture inside FIFA. Minky Worden from Human Rights Watch said that FIFA needs people like Kevin Lamour who're not afraid to speak up. She thinks that important people at FIFA should be able to talk about problems with how the organization's run and about human rights issues. Laura McAllister, a vice-president at UEFA also did not like the decision. She said that it sends a message to people who want to make changes at FIFA.

This is all happening at a time, for Infantino. He is trying to get elected as the president of FIFA in March 2027 but he is facing a lot of opposition. The UEFA and CONCACAF do not support him anymore. Other groups still do.

What comes next for FIFA?

Lamour ended his time at FIFA with a message to staff, telling them to keep doing what they believe is right.

FIFA is now facing some questions about who is in charge and how they make decisions. As Business Fortune observes, they also have to be more open about what they do. The people in charge of FIFA like Infantino are going to be under a lot of pressure.

This is especially true with the presidential election coming up. The real challenge for FIFA is to make people trust them again. FIFA has to figure out how to make money from football without forgetting what is important. They have to remember that they are in charge of football, around the world and that is a big responsibility.

 

FAQs

Who is Kevin Lamour?

Kevin Lamour is a French football executive who became FIFA’s chief operating officer in November 2024 after serving as UEFA’s deputy general secretary.

Why did FIFA and Kevin Lamour part ways?

FIFA confirmed the departure but did not give a specific reason. It followed Lamour’s public criticism of Gianni Infantino’s abandoned private investment proposal.

What was the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan?

The proposal involved creating a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights for FIFA competitions and selling a minority stake to private investors.

Why was the FFE proposal abandoned?

The plan faced strong criticism from football organisations, including UEFA and CONCACAF, particularly over private ownership and FIFA’s long-term commercial control.

What could Lamour’s departure mean for FIFA?

It could intensify scrutiny of FIFA’s governance, internal decision-making and leadership as Infantino prepares for a contested presidential election in 2027.