Senior FIFA official Lamour has stepped down following criticism from Infantino
FIFA on Monday announced that Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour had departed from the organization just weeks after he openly criticized Gianni Infantino’s proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup and other tournaments.
Lamour became a member of the senior leadership group of soccer’s global governing body in November 2024, after previously being part of the inner circle that supported Infantino’s election as FIFA president in 2016.
FIFA has announced that the working relationship with Kevin Lamour, who served as FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer, concluded on 17 August 2026,” a FIFA spokesperson stated on Monday. FIFA expresses gratitude to Kevin for his two years of service and extends best wishes for his future endeavors. No additional remarks will be provided regarding the issue.
Lamour publicly criticized the proposal last month, stating that FIFA staff had been “deceived” regarding the plan and labeling it as “the project of one person.”
Our mission is to serve football, not to cater to the personal interests of an individual who, regrettably, thinks he represents FIFA when he should be serving it,” Lamour stated.
Infantino’s reelection faces uncertainty due to backlash.
Frenchman Lamour’s remarks followed closely after Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to Infantino, stepped down in protest of the proposal, labeling it “a badterribleal for football. Infantino retracted the proposal later that same day.
The criticism surrounding the proposal to establish a $20 billion subsidiary and divest up to a 20% stake to private equity investors to generate $4.2 billion remains strong.
Infantino’s bid for reelection for a fourth term as president in March next year, which once appeared to be a mere formality, is now anything but certain.
Powerful European confederations UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and CONCACAF stand in opposition to the 56-year-old Swiss leader, though he continues to enjoy the backing of the African and South American confederations.
Human rights organization FairSquare announced on Monday that it had communicated with FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee (GACC), requesting that Infantino be deemed ineligible to pursue another term as president.
This constitutes a clear breach of the rules.
Although FIFA presidents are restricted to three terms, Infantino effectively contended in 2022 that his initial term in office from 2016 to 2019 should not be considered in that limit, as it fulfilled an interrupted mandate.
Infantino was first elected during an Extraordinary Congress after Sepp Blatter resigned due to a corruption scandal. He was reelected without opposition in both 2019 and 2023.
The complaint we have submitted presents unequivocal evidence that the action constitutes a blatant violation of the regulations and establishes a perilous precedent,” stated FairSquare director Nicholas McGeehan in an interview with Reuters. “The regulations explicitly indicate that three presidential terms is the maximum permitted. FIFA must uphold this rule, which safeguards against presidential power, instead of claiming his first term is invalid.
FIFA did not provide a comment in response to the request made on Monday.
Last week, UEFA, the AFC, and CONCACAF, which oversees football in the Caribbean, North, and Central America, requested an independent review of Infantino’s conduct.
Sources familiar with the situation indicated that the three confederations perceived the letter as a chance for Infantino to resign while maintaining his dignity.
THE SCOTTISH FEDERATION WILL NOT SUPPORT INFANTINO.
Numerous national associations have expressed their concerns as well. Ian Maxwell, chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, informed the BBC on Monday that his federation would not back Infantino’s reelection.
FairSquare’s letter to the GACC was prepared with the help of Miguel Maduro, the former head of FIFA’s independent Governance and Review Committee, who emphasized that the governing body must adhere to its regulations. “The principle of term limits was a fundamental aspect of the 2016 reform aimed at limiting power, and the rule introduced is clear: no FIFA president can serve more than three terms of office,” Maduro stated.
Attempting to create an exception to this rule for Mr. Infantino highlights a reluctance to uphold the principle of term limits and illustrates how certain individuals at FIFA view rules not as guidelines but as barriers to be avoided.
Last month, the International Olympic Committee dismissed a complaint from FairSquare about Infantino’s alleged violation of the organization’s political neutrality rules for supporting U.S. President Donald Trump. Infantino has been a member of the IOC since 2020.
