FIFA dismisses Kevin Lamour after World Cup privatization clash

FIFA terminated the contract of chief operations officer Kevin Lamour on Monday, ending his tenure as the organisation’s third‑highest official after he publicly challenged Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell a stake in the global World Cup to private investors amid mounting controversy.

Termination and internal reaction

The organisation’s spokesperson confirmed the dismissal three weeks after the 45‑year‑old French executive issued a statement attacking the plan. “The employment relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour, in his capacity as chief operations officer, concluded on 17 August 2026,” the spokesperson said, a comment cited by The Athletic and L’Équipe.

FIFA thanked Lamour for “his two years of service” and wished him “much success in the future”, adding that the council had taken the decision “with great consideration and with much respect for Kevin”. En his July communiqué to the Associated Press (AP), Lamour warned that the World Cup privatization was “the project of a single person”, claimed staff had been “deceived”, and concluded, “And if that means I lose my job, so be it. I will understand and respect that decision. At least I will sleep peacefully tonight.”

World Cup privatization proposal and backlash

The disputed initiative proposed creating a FIFA Forward Enterprise subsidiary valued at $20 billion, concentrating the business of the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup. It envisaged selling a 20 % stake to private investors to raise $4.2 billion, with Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital acting as the anchor investor.

Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s senior adviser and former Goldman Sachs banker, resigned publicly, calling the plan “a bad deal for football” and “mortgaging its future without any convincing justification”. UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC issued a joint letter asserting that football “does not belong to any individual”. Under the mounting pressure, Infantino announced the abandonment of the project two days after its public disclosure.

Election fallout and Scottish opposition

The dismissal comes as Infantino faces a deteriorating political environment ahead of the FIFA presidential election scheduled for 18 March 2027. The Scottish Football Association announced it will not support Gianni Infantino, aligning with UEFA and joining England, Ireland and Wales in the same stance. Ian Maxwell, chief executive of the Scottish FA, said, “The Scottish FA will not vote for Gianni Infantino. That is in line with the stance we have maintained.”

To win, Infantino would need a majority of the 211 member associations. In addition to the British federations, UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC have already rejected his leadership, while CONMEBOL has voiced support and Oceania and Africa have yet to take a definitive position.