The split at the top of FIFA is now official. Kevin Lamour, the sport's chief operating officer and considered the number three at the world governing body, has resigned after publicly opposing Gianni Infantino. The French executive had vehemently denounced the FIFA president's plan to open up some of the commercial activities related to the World Cup to private investors. FIFA confirmed that its working relationship with Kevin Lamour ended on Sunday. The organization simply thanked the Frenchman for his two years of service, without publicly detailing the exact circumstances of his departure. Internally, Secretary General Mattias Grafström indicated that the two parties had decided to part ways after recent discussions.
Kevin Lamour had directly challenged Gianni Infantino
Kevin Lamour's situation had become particularly delicate since July 31st. While Gianni Infantino was advocating for a reorganization of FIFA's commercial activities, the Frenchman had publicly distanced himself from his president. The plan involved the creation of FIFA Forward Enterprise, a structure intended to consolidate some of the commercial activities related to FIFA's major competitions. It notably envisioned selling approximately 20% of this company to private investors, in a transaction that could value the entity at around $20 billion.
Kevin Lamour then challenged not only the project itself, but also the way it had been developed. "This isn't FIFA's project. It's one person's project ," he declared, directly targeting Gianni Infantino. The French executive also denounced a lack of transparency and accused FIFA's management of misleading employees about the project's preparation.
"If that means I lose my job, so be it."
Kevin Lamour knew that this stance could lead to his departure. In his particularly harsh statement, he explained that he preferred to defend his convictions rather than keep his job. "If that means I lose my job, so be it," he warned. Less than three weeks later, the break became official. FIFA, however, did not officially state that the criticisms leveled against Gianni Infantino were the reason for his departure. It simply confirmed the end of their collaboration and announced that it would not make any further comment.
The controversial project was eventually abandoned.
The clash concerned a particularly sensitive issue. Gianni Infantino wanted to attract private capital to a new commercial structure that would include revenues from international competitions. The project met with strong opposition both within and outside FIFA. Several key figures in world football challenged the principle of opening the company's capital to private investors, as well as the conditions under which the operation had been prepared. Faced with this opposition, Gianni Infantino ultimately abandoned the project. Kevin Lamour was not the only high-ranking official to oppose it. Carlos Cordeiro, an advisor to Gianni Infantino and former president of the United States Soccer Federation, also resigned after criticizing this strategy.
A Frenchman will arrive at FIFA in 2024
Kevin Lamour had held the position of Chief Operating Officer of FIFA since November 2024. This role placed him directly behind Gianni Infantino and Secretary General Mattias Grafström in the organization's operational hierarchy. His responsibilities were particularly broad. He oversaw relations with national federations, finance, legal matters, human resources, and several of FIFA's administrative activities. Before arriving in Zurich, Kevin Lamour had spent a large part of his career at UEFA, which he joined in 2007. There, he notably served as Deputy Secretary General and worked with several key figures in European football.
A dramatic break at the top of FIFA
His departure thus marks the end of one of FIFA's key administrative figures, less than two years after his arrival. Most notably, Kevin Lamour leaves the organization just weeks after publicly questioning Gianni Infantino's leadership and the preparation of one of his major economic projects. The Frenchman himself had announced he was prepared to lose his job for taking such a stance. On August 17, 2026, his collaboration with FIFA officially ended.
