FIFA sack executive who dared to criticise Infantino's controversial World Cup proposal

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FT Desk

A FIFA executive who publicly criticised Gianni Infantino's FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal has been sacked by football's governing body.

The FIFA President is currently under major pressure following the failure of the plans, which would have allowed private equity to invest in the World Cup in exchange for shares in the competition.

The aim was to use the extra income to increase funding for football development in countries around the world. However, the plan faced criticism over transparency, control and private investors’ influence, and it was eventually abandoned a few days after it was initially reported.

Kevin Lamour, FIFA's Chief Operating Officer at the time, described the FFE plans as "the project of one person", and said "the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions".

He claimed senior executives at FIFA had been "deceived" by Infantino's plans.

It appears he's now paid the price for that insubordination as FIFA announced on Monday that he and the organisation have parted ways.

In a statement, a FIFA spokesperson confirmed that "the working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026.

"FIFA thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future."

In a letter sent to members of FIFA's Council, secretary general Mattias Grafstrom wrote: "I would like to provide you with an important update regarding a change within the FIFA Administration.

"Following recent discussions, FIFA and our Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour have agreed to part ways. This decision was made after careful consideration and with great respect for Kevin, both personally and professionally… I felt it was important that I personally provide you this update and I would like to express my gratitude to Kevin for these contributions and for his work and commitment on behalf of FIFA on a daily basis. I wish Kevin all the best for the future."

Speaking previously, Lamour actually acknowledged that speaking out against the plans may cost him his job, but that he had to preserve his values.

"Our mission - the mission of the hundreds of passionate, dedicated, and exemplary FIFA employees - is to serve football", he said.

"A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite."

On defending those values, he added:

"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."

Infantino still has support from several major football regions, particularly Africa through CAF and South America through CONMEBOL. Some Asian, Arab and Oceania football associations also continue to support him.

However, he has lost support from several important organisations. UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF are opposed to him, while New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales have withdrawn their support. The disagreement mainly centres on his leadership and the controversial FFE plan.

Overall, Infantino still has strong backing in some parts of the world, but his support has weakened significantly, especially in Europe and parts of Asia and North America.