FIFA chief operating officer leaves after criticising Infantino investor plan

Frenchman Kevin Lamour has left his role as FIFA's chief operating officer after criticising president Gianni Infantino's scrapped private investor plan, world football's governing body confirmed Monday. Lamour was the third highest-ranking FIFA official. "FIFA can confirm that the working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as FIFA's chief operating officer has ended on August 17, 2026," a FIFA spokesperson told AFP, confirming a report in The Athletic. "FIFA thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future." A former employee of European governing body UEFA, Lamour had served as FIFA COO since November 2024. He was one of the highest-ranking FIFA figures to speak out against Infantino's proposal to sell stakes in competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors. Lamour described the plan as "the project of one person". Read moreInfantino's future at FIFA should be decided by election, African football chief says "The time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions," he said in a statement sent to the Associated Press (AP) and published on July 31. "If that...