DistantNews
Support us
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Sports

FIFA sacks top official after Infantino criticism

From The Punch · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • FIFA has terminated the contract of its Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour.
  • Lamour had publicly criticized FIFA President Gianni Infantino over a proposed deal to sell a stake in a company managing commercial rights.
  • The criticism and opposition from football bodies led to the abandonment of the FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative and affected Infantino's re-election bid.

FIFA has ended its working relationship with Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour, just weeks after he publicly criticized President Gianni Infantino. The governing body confirmed the departure on Monday, stating Lamour's role concluded on August 17, 2026, after two years of service.

The working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026.

— FIFA spokespersonFIFA confirmed the termination of Lamour's employment.

Lamour's criticism stemmed from an abandoned plan to sell a stake in a company, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would manage commercial and ticketing rights for FIFA competitions. He described the FFE proposal as "the project of one person" and claimed FIFA's administration had been "deceived" about the initiative. Lamour also questioned Infantino's leadership, stating, "A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite."

the project of one person

— Kevin LamourLamour described the FFE proposal.

The FFE initiative faced significant opposition from various football organizations, including UEFA, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation. UEFA reportedly threatened to boycott the World Cup if the plan proceeded. This controversy has also impacted Infantino's campaign for a fourth term as FIFA president, with UEFA and Concacaf withdrawing their support for his re-election. The Scottish Football Association also withdrew its backing, joining England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. However, confederations from Africa, South America, and Oceania continue to support Infantino.

FIFA’s administration had been “deceived” about the initiative.

— Kevin LamourLamour explained his concerns about the FFE proposal.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog