FIFA sacks senior official who publicly criticised Gianni Infantino
FIFA announced on Monday that its Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour, has ended his tenure at the organization, weeks after he publicly criticised President Gianni Infantino's plan to sell a stake in the commercial operations of tournaments, including the World Cup.
FIFA announced on Monday that its Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour, has ended his tenure at the organization, weeks after he publicly criticised President Gianni Infantino's plan to sell a stake in the commercial operations of tournaments, including the World Cup.
"FIFA can confirm that the employment relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour, who served as the organization's Chief Operating Officer, ended on August 17, 2026," a spokesperson for the organization stated. "FIFA thanks Kevin for two years of service and wishes him success in the future. No further comment will be provided on this matter."
Last month, Lamour publicly criticised the plan, claiming that FIFA employees had been "misled" regarding it. He even described it as a "one-man project" and added:
"Our mission is to serve football. Not to serve the personal interests of a person who unfortunately believes he embodies FIFA, while he is supposed to serve it."
Lamour's remarks came hours after Carlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to Infantino, resigned in protest of the plan, calling it a "bad deal for football."
The opposition from within FIFA came as the organization faced widespread criticism over its plan to establish a $20 billion subsidiary to manage its tournaments, including the World Cup, and to sell up to 20% of it to external investors. Ultimately, FIFA abandoned the plan following a wave of opposition.
Meanwhile, the CEO of the Scottish Football Association, Ian Maxwell, announced that Scotland would also transfer its support to another candidate in the next FIFA presidential election. "The Scottish FA will not be voting for Gianni Infantino in the elections to be held in early 2027," Maxwell told the BBC.
The Scottish position joins that of other associations in the British Isles. England, Ireland, and Wales have also withdrawn their support for Infantino. "The position of the Scottish FA has been clear since the 55 UEFA associations met," he clarified regarding his opposition.
