FIFA Just Sacked Its Chief Operating Officer — And The Timing Is VERY Suspicious ⚽

FIFA has sacked one of its most senior executives less than three weeks after he publicly called out president Gianni Infantino — and the timing is raising some SERIOUS eyebrows.

Kevin Lamour, FIFA's chief operating officer, is out as of Monday, BBC Sport reports. The official line? FIFA and Lamour "agreed to part ways." But here's what actually happened.

What He Said That Got Him Fired

Last month, Lamour didn't just criticize Infantino's controversial plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors — he absolutely destroyed it.

He called the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) plans "the project of one person" and said FIFA's own administration was "deceived" about the now-abandoned project, according to BBC Sport.

Then he went even harder: "A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite."

And the kicker? "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."

Well. Turns out he was right about losing his job.

The Controversy That Started It All

So what was this plan that Lamour (and basically everyone else) hated so much?

Infantino wanted to create a new company — FFE — to manage the commercial and ticketing rights of all FIFA competitions, including World Cups. Then he wanted to sell 21% of it to private investment companies.

The backlash was immediate and brutal. UEFA threatened to boycott the World Cup if the plan went ahead. The Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf (who govern football in North and Central America and the Caribbean) publicly opposed it too.

A senior adviser to Infantino, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned. And Lamour spoke out.

Infantino eventually aborted the plan. But the damage was done.

The Infantino Rebellion Is Growing

After the FFE disaster, UEFA and Concacaf withdrew their support for Infantino when he stands for a fourth presidential term at the FIFA Congress in March next year.

On Monday, Scotland became the latest football association to dump Infantino, joining England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in an unprecedented FIFA rebellion, BBC Sport reports.

Football governance charity FairSquare has written to FIFA demanding Infantino not be allowed to stand for re-election at all.

But Infantino still has backing from the confederations of Africa, South America and Oceania. And several Concacaf members including Mexico broke ranks with their own confederation to support him.

The Sacking That Speaks Volumes

Lamour joined FIFA in November 2024 after serving as deputy general secretary at UEFA. He was two layers of management below Infantino.

Earlier this month, Infantino held a meeting with senior executives in Morocco to shore up support. Lamour wasn't invited, BBC Sport was told.

Then on Monday evening, FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom sent an email to staff saying the organization and Lamour had "agreed to part ways."

In a letter to FIFA Council members, Grafstrom wrote that the decision was made "after careful consideration and with great respect for Kevin, both personally and professionally."

Sure, Jan.

The official FIFA statement was even more corporate: "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."

What This Means For Football

This isn't just office drama — it's about who controls the biggest sport on the planet.

Infantino's FFE plan would have handed significant control of football's crown jewels to private investors. When his own COO called it "the project of one person" and said the administration had been "deceived," it exposed just how much Infantino was operating alone.

Now, with multiple football associations withdrawing support and Lamour out the door, the question is: Will Infantino survive his re-election bid in March?

The confederations are split. Europe is in open rebellion. And the man who dared to speak truth to power is gone.

Lamour has been approached for comment but hasn't responded yet. Honestly? He said everything he needed to say last month.

Do you think Infantino should be re-elected, or is it time for FIFA to move on? Drop your thoughts below.

Sources:

• BBC Sport: Fifa official sacked after Infantino plan criticism