FIFA COO departs after criticising Infantinos abandoned World Cup investor plan

FIFA’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, left the organization on Aug. 17, 2026, after publicly criticizing President Gianni Infantino’s now-abandoned plan to sell stakes in World Cup commercial rights to private investors, the governing body confirmed.
A FIFA spokesperson told multiple outlets, including AFP and the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, that the working relationship with Lamour ended on Aug. 17, adding that the organization thanked him for two years of service and declined to discuss the reasons for his departure .
Lamour, a French-Swiss national and former UEFA executive, had served as FIFA’s COO since November 2024. In a July 31 statement obtained by the Associated Press, he accused Infantino of betraying staff, saying they “deserve better than contempt and intimidation.” He also called the investor plan “the project of one person” and stated, “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” .
The investor proposal, which would have allowed private entities to buy into a new commercial entity controlling World Cup rights, faced opposition from continental bodies including UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation. FIFA shelved the plan after widespread backlash, with Infantino acknowledging it had caused “such division that it no longer serves the original purpose” .
Lamour’s departure follows growing scrutiny of Infantino’s leadership. The Scottish Football Association withdrew its support for Infantino after the failed investor plan, while other critics, including human rights group FairSquare, have questioned his eligibility for re-election .
FIFA’s secretary general, Mattias Grafström, and chief of global football development Arsène Wenger both welcomed the decision to abandon the investor plan. Wenger called it “absolutely necessary” to scrap the proposal .
Follow us for live European news
- 4
- 3
- 2
- 2
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
5 further sources not geolocated






