FIFA COO Kevin Lamour Exits After Criticizing President Gianni Infantino

FIFA's Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour left the organization Monday, weeks after publicly criticizing President Gianni Infantino's plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup. Human rights and labor groups sharply criticized Lamour's exit, raising concerns about governance and dissent within FIFA.

Minky Worden, Human Rights Watch's director of global initiatives, stated FIFA needs more whistleblowers like Kevin Lamour. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters accused Infantino of creating a crisis by pursuing the plan, arguing FIFA should protect the World Cup rather than treat it as a commercial asset. Lamour had stated FIFA's administration had been deceived over the plan and described it as the project of one person.

He said, "Our mission is to serve football, not to serve the personal interests of a person who, unfortunately, believes he embodies FIFA." Lamour joined FIFA's senior leadership team in November 2024, having been part of Infantino's inner circle during his successful 2016 presidential campaign. Norwegian football boss Lise Klaveness accused FIFA of management by fear following Lamour's exit, calling it unacceptable.

Klaveness described Lamour as the best football administrator I have ever met. Infantino withdrew the World Cup sell-off proposal hours after Lamour's comments and the resignation of senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, who called it a bad deal for football. The plan, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, involved creating a commercial entity to sell a 20% stake to private investors for about $4.2 billion. Infantino's bid for re-election next year is now uncertain, facing opposition from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF.