Criticism of Infantino’s investor plans triggers FIFA’s split with COO Lamour

After mounting criticism of FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s investor plans, the world governing body announced on 17 August 2026 that it had ended its working relationship with Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour, the 46‑year‑old French‑Swiss executive who had served since November 2024.

Lamour’s accusations

Lamour’s letter accused Infantino of deceiving staff and said they deserved better than contempt and intimidation – a direct reference to the Kritik surrounding the Investorenplänen. In the same document he warned that the project must not continue and called on political decision‑makers in football to ask the right questions.

He added that he was prepared to lose his job because of his public statements, writing, “If that means I lose my job, then so be it.” The statement underscored the personal risk he accepted when he raised the Kritik.

FIFA’s response and separation

The Investorenpläne envisioned selling World Cup shares to private Investoren, turning the Weltfußballverband into a global commercial enterprise. After criticism from several continental confederations, including the UEFA, the FIFA‑Verband distanced itself from the multi‑billion‑Euro Pläne.

FIFA dismisses Kevin Lamour after World Cup privatization clash

On the Stand: 17.08.2026, a FIFA‑Sprecher told the Deutschen Presse‑Agentur that the Arbeitsbeziehung between FIFA and Kevin Lamour in his Funktion as Chief Operating Officer ended on that date. The spokesperson offered no Details about the Gründe for the Ende of the Zusammenarbeit.

The Verband thanked Lamour for his two‑year tenure. He had been in the role since November 2024 after a long career at UEFA beginning in 2007.

FIFA parts ways with COO Kevin Lamour after critique of Infantino

This contrast – fierce internal Kritik leading to both a policy retreat and the departure of the executive who voiced it – highlights how dissent can reshape the direction of the global football governing body.