FIFA has confirmed that its chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, left the organisation on 17 August, less than three weeks after he publicly criticised president Gianni Infantino's proposal to bring private investors into world football's flagship competitions. The governing body did not specify a reason for his departure, though several media reports claim he was dismissed.
Lamour, who joined FIFA from UEFA in November 2024, was one of the most senior figures at the Zurich-based organisation. His portfolio covered finance, legal and compliance, communications, member associations, technology and operations, and social responsibility across FIFA's offices in Zurich, Paris and Miami.
His exit follows a very public falling-out with Infantino over the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial subsidiary that was to be valued at around $20 billion (€17 billion) and would have run the World Cup and other major tournaments. Under the plan, private investors would have been able to acquire a 20% stake.
In a statement on 31 July, Lamour accused FIFA's administration of being “deceived” over how the proposal was developed, describing FFE as “the project of one person”. He added: “Not only must this project not go ahead … but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.” He also acknowledged the personal risk, saying: “If that means I lose my job, then so be it.”
Lamour's departure comes just weeks after Carlos Cordeiro, a former president of US Soccer and a Goldman Sachs executive who served as senior adviser to Infantino, resigned. Cordeiro said he had not been involved in developing FFE and called it “a bad deal for football”, questioning why FIFA needed to raise billions from outside investors when it had significant reserves and no debt.
A plan abandoned after continental backlash
The FFE proposal was ultimately shelved after three regional confederations – UEFA (Europe), CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean) and the AFC (Asia) – issued a joint statement calling it a “fundamental breach of trust” with the institutions FIFA was designed to serve. That rare show of unity among football's governing bodies was a significant blow to Infantino's authority.
FIFA responded on 8 August with a statement claiming that “it is increasingly evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its President.” The organisation has not commented further on Lamour's departure.
The episode has intensified scrutiny of Infantino's leadership, with some European federations and observers questioning the governance of world football's governing body. For a deeper look at the structural issues, see this analysis of FIFA's governance crisis.
Lamour's exit also highlights the risks of internal dissent at FIFA. His warning that speaking out could cost him his job proved prescient, and his departure is likely to fuel concerns about a culture of conformity within the organisation.
As the fallout continues, the broader question of how FIFA is run remains unresolved. The united front shown by European, Asian and American football bodies against the FFE plan may have forced a retreat, but it has not addressed the underlying tensions between Infantino and the sport's regional leadership.
