FIFA COO exits after calling Infantino plan 'deception'
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- Kevin Lamour departed as FIFA's chief operating officer on 17 August 2026 after two years in the role, confirmed by a FIFA spokesperson who thanked him and declined further comment
- Weeks earlier, Lamour had told the Associated Press that FIFA's administration was "deceived" by Infantino's plan to sell stakes in a company to run the World Cup to private investors
- Infantino's proposal was rejected by three continental confederations before being withdrawn, the sequence that triggered UEFA's threat to boycott all FIFA competitions
- Three confederation presidents published an open letter accusing Infantino of "deception," described by the Press Association as intended to give him a chance to resign
- The Scottish Football Association confirmed it will not vote for Infantino, with CEO Ian Maxwell citing "fall-down in governance, lack of transparency, lack of engagement with member associations"
- Advocacy group FairSquare, backed by former FIFA governance committee chair Miguel Maduro, has petitioned FIFA's review committee arguing 2027 would constitute Infantino's fourth term under Article 33.2 of the FIFA Statutes
Why it matters: With a former COO gone after publicly calling the president a deceiver, a member association defecting, and a legal eligibility challenge pending before FIFA's review committee, Infantino now faces simultaneous credibility, political, and procedural fronts — and Article 33.2 is the one lever opponents have that does not depend on persuading the 200-plus delegates who re-elected him last time.
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