FIFA has ended its working relationship with Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour, less than three weeks after he publicly criticised President Gianni Infantino over the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.
The world football governing body confirmed on Monday that Lamour was no longer serving as its chief operating officer, with a FIFA spokesperson saying the organisation’s working relationship with him ended on August 17, 2026.
FIFA thanked Lamour for his two years of service without providing further details on the circumstances surrounding his departure.
Lamour had been openly critical of the FFE proposal, which sought to establish a company to manage the commercial and ticketing rights of FIFA competitions, with plans to sell a 21 per cent stake to private investment firms.
He described the initiative as “the project of one person” and alleged that FIFA’s administration had been “deceived” over the proposal.
Lamour also questioned Infantino’s leadership, saying the FIFA president should focus on bringing stakeholders together and promoting unity.
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“A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite,” he said.
The FFE proposal was eventually abandoned following opposition from several major football organisations, including UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation.
UEFA was also reportedly prepared to boycott the World Cup if the plan went ahead.
Lamour’s departure comes as Infantino faces growing opposition ahead of his bid for a fourth term as FIFA president. Several European football associations have withdrawn their support for his re-election, with the Scottish Football Association announcing on Monday that it would no longer back him.
Scotland joins England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in withdrawing support for Infantino.
However, the FIFA president continues to receive backing from the confederations representing Africa, South America and Oceania.
Lamour’s exit adds another layer to the fallout from the FFE controversy, highlighting growing divisions over FIFA’s commercial strategy, leadership and governance as the organisation approaches its next presidential election.
