Fifa operating chief sacked after criticising World Cup stake sale plan
Kevin Lamour has left football's world governing body after speaking out against Gianni Infantino's abandoned plan to sell parts of the World Cup to private investors.
In 30 seconds
Written by the desk, checked before publishFifa's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, has been dismissed after publicly opposing president Gianni Infantino's plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. The plan was dropped following heavy criticism. Lamour said Fifa's administration had been misled, and knew speaking out could cost him his job.
- Kevin Lamour, Fifa's chief operating officer, has been sacked.
- He had held the role for less than two years.
- He publicly criticised a plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
- Lamour said Fifa's administration had been "deceived" over the proposal.
- Fifa abandoned the investor plan after widespread criticism.
What we can confirm
Each line is checked on its own. A story is never “true” as a whole.
Claim ledger
Every line traces to a named sourceKevin Lamour has been dismissed as Fifa chief operating officer
- reportedThe Guardian — Sport
His dismissal followed his public criticism of the World Cup investor plan
- reportedThe Guardian — Sport
- reportedAl Jazeera
Fifa dropped the plan to sell World Cup stakes after backlash
- reportedThe Guardian — Sport
Lamour expected that speaking out could cost him his job
- reportedThe Guardian — Sport
How it unfolded
Built from the timestamps on each report, not from a press release.
Lamour appointed Fifa chief operating officer
Fifa abandons plan to sell World Cup stakes after criticism
Lamour sacked following his public criticism
How outlets are framing it
Same facts, different emphasis. We show the spread rather than pick a winner.
He argued that Fifa's administration had been misled about the plan to sell parts of the World Cup to private investors.
They see the removal of a senior executive who spoke out as a sign of concentrated power at the top of the organisation.
Ask this story
Answered only from this story's own sources. When they do not cover something, it says so.
Revision history
Public and permanent. Older revisions stay readable, and a correction says plainly what was wrong.
First publication.
What happened
Kevin Lamour, the chief operating officer of Fifa, has been sacked after he publicly criticised a proposal championed by president Gianni Infantino to sell parts of the World Cup to private investors. Lamour had been in the role for less than two years. The plan itself was scrapped after a wide backlash from within and outside football. Lamour argued that Fifa's own administration had been "deceived" over the proposal, and he was aware that saying so in public put his position at risk. Fifa has not set out in detail why it ended his employment, and no successor has been named. The dismissal is a notable upheaval at the top of an organisation that has faced years of governance criticism.
Why it matters
Fifa runs the world's biggest sporting event, and how it is financed affects fans, national associations and broadcasters. A senior executive being removed after speaking out raises questions about whether internal disagreement at Fifa can be voiced safely, and about how much power sits with the president.
What happens next
Attention will turn to who replaces Lamour and whether other senior staff share his concerns. Fifa may face pressure from member associations to explain how the investor plan was developed and why it was dropped.