By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
The civil war in FIFA continues with the report, on 17 August 2026, that Kevin Lamour, the COO of FIFA, is leaving the organisation, following his criticism of the President, Gianni Infantino, regarding his abandoned proposal to sell stakes to private investors in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.
In July 2026, Lamour described the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise plan as "the project of one person and the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions".
And added that:
"Our mission - the mission of the hundreds of passionate, dedicated, and exemplary FIFA employees - is to serve football. A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite."
Mattias Grafström, FIFA Secretary General, informed members of the FIFA Council of Lamour’s departure as follows:
"Following recent discussions, Fifa and our Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour have agreed to part ways. This decision was made after careful consideration and with great respect for Kevin, both personally and professionally… I felt it was important that I personally provide you this update and I would like to express my gratitude to Kevin for these contributions and for his work and commitment on behalf of Fifa on a daily basis. I wish Kevin all the best for the future."
Lamour joined FIFA in November 2024 from UEFA, where he was the Deputy General Secretary.
So, what next in this continuing saga?
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