The high-ranking FIFA executive who accused embattled president Gianni Infantino of having “deceived” the organisation over his infamous plot to sell off a stake in the World Cup has paid the ultimate price.
Kevin Lamour, who served as FIFA’s chief operating officer – making him its third-highest ranking official – has been sacked less than two years after joining the federation from UEFA.
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FIFA released a statement confirming the Frenchman’s departure.
“FIFA can confirm that the working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as FIFA’s chief operating officer has ended on August 17, 2026,” a FIFA spokesperson told AFP.
“FIFA thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future.”
Lamour rose to prominence after becoming the federation’s most senior figures to come out publicly against Infantino’s plan to sell a share of major FIFA events, including the World Cup, to private equity.
The scheme sparked a major schism in world football, with several key organisations headed by UEFA, CONCACAF and Asia’s AFC threatening to boycott future world events and leading calls for Infantino to stand down as president.
Lamour described the plan as “the project of one person”, saying FIFA officials were “deceived” by the plan.
“The time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions,” he said in a statement.
“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 is the second high-ranking FIFA official to depart in the aftermath of Infantino’s proposal, with key adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigning in protest shortly after the sell-off plan was announced.
Dubbed the “FIFA Forward Enterprise”, the plan centred on selling off 20 per cent of FIFA’s commercial and operations departments, including major events such as the World Cup, to private investors.
Among those linked to the deal included Joshua Kushner, brother of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared.
While the plan swiftly drew condemnation from around the sporting world, Infantino still holds strong support in Africa and South America, with both federations publicly backing him to continue as president.
He can only be ousted before March 2027’s presidential election by a vote of no confidence from 43 member associations.”
Advocacy group FairSquare has joined calls for Infantino’s head, questioning the legality of the Swiss figurehead, who took over as president from scandal-plagued predecessor Sepp Blatter in 2015, staying on for a third term.
“An apparent decision taken in December 2022 to discount Infantino’s first three-year term as counting as a presidential term clearly violates the letter and purpose of FIFA’s rules on term limits, and circumvented the authority of the FIFA Congress,” a statement reads.
“FIFA has never published any reasoning to support the apparent decision, which has effectively introduced an unjustifiable and dangerous exception to a rule aimed at restraining executive power, and one that could have the effect of allowing FIFA Presidents to rule in perpetuity.
The statement adds: “Gianni Infantino is unfit to be the FIFA President, but the process by which he leaves is critically important.
“If Infantino is deposed by power dynamics rather than because he has broken the rules, it will reinforce the power of the political cartel that runs the game and gave us Infantino.”