FIFA removes chief operating officer Kevin Lamour after public criticism of World Cup stake plan

Formal termination of the operations chief

World football governing body FIFA confirmed on 17 August 2026 that Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour has left his position. The departure of the French-Swiss executive, who served as the organization's number three official, followed weeks of internal tension regarding commercial strategy. FIFA confirmed that the working relationship between the federation and Lamour concluded on 17 August 2026. The world body thanked Lamour for his two years of service and wished him well for the future, adding that no further comments would be provided. Communications delivered to FIFA Council members noted that the leadership made the decision after careful evaluation.

Our mission... is to serve football. Not to serve the personal interests of a person who, unfortunately, believes he embodies FIFA when he is supposed to be at its service.

The World Cup commercialization plan

The conflict stemmed from an executive proposal to create a $20 billion commercial subsidiary, designated as FIFA Forward Enterprise, to manage tournament assets, including the men's and women's World Cup competitions. Under this framework, FIFA sought to sell an equity stake of up to 20% to outside private investors. Lamour challenged the initiative in late July 2026, describing the concept as the project of one person and asserting that federation personnel had been deceived without open consultation. In written statements distributed at the time, Lamour argued that staff members deserved better than intimidation and disregard from executive management.

Not only must this project not proceed, but the time has now come for political decision-makers in football to ask the right questions and make the right decisions.

Senior resignations and confederation resistance

Dissent against the commercialization proposal extended across several administrative bodies and senior advisory staff. Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, resigned from his advisory post hours before Lamour made his public remarks, categorizing the private equity plan as a bad deal for football. Resistance also emerged from continental confederations, including UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation, with CONCACAF stating that FIFA leadership was no longer putting football first. Former Portugal international player Luís Figo also voiced criticism regarding federation governance. Following widespread internal and external opposition, FIFA abandoned the investment initiative and issued an apology for the manner in which the project had been prepared and managed.

Administrative career and upcoming presidential election

Lamour joined FIFA as Chief Operating Officer in November 2024 after working at European governing body UEFA since 2007. When releasing his public criticism in late July 2026, the French-Swiss administrator explicitly stated that he accepted the possibility of losing his job as a consequence of his statements. FIFA has not announced a replacement or outlined who will assume operational duties following his exit. The administrative turnover precedes the next FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027, in which Gianni Infantino has announced his candidacy for a fourth and final term leading the organisation.