FIFA has ended its working relationship with Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour after a major internal dispute.
Lamour’s departure comes less than three weeks after he publicly criticised FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
His comments focused on the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan and the leadership behind the proposal.
A FIFA spokesperson confirmed that Lamour had left his position on August 17, 2026.
“The working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026,” the spokesperson said.
FIFA also thanked Lamour for his two years of service to the organisation.
Lamour had strongly criticised the proposed FFE project, which faced resistance from several football governing bodies.
He described the proposal as “the project of one person” and claimed FIFA’s administration had been “deceived”.
Lamour also questioned Infantino’s approach to leading the global football body.
“A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite,” Lamour said.
The proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise was expected to handle commercial and ticketing rights linked to FIFA competitions.
However, plans to sell a 21 per cent stake to private investors faced opposition from UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation.
The growing resistance eventually contributed to the plan being abandoned. The dispute has also created fresh pressure around Infantino’s re-election, with several football bodies withdrawing their support.
UEFA and Concacaf have reportedly pulled their backing, while Scotland also withdrew its support.
England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have also moved away from supporting Infantino.
Despite the setbacks, Africa, South America and Oceania continue to back the FIFA president.
Lamour’s exit has added another layer to the growing debate over FIFA’s leadership and future direction.
