Top Fifa official sacked after Infantino plan criticism

Fifa's chief operating officer Kevin Lamour has been sacked by the governing body, less than three weeks after he strongly criticised its president Gianni Infantino's aborted plan to sell stakes in competitions to private investors , BBC Sport has been told.

In a statement, a Fifa spokesperson would only confirm that "the working relationship between Fifa and Kevin Lamour as Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026.

"Fifa thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future."

Fifa's staff were informed of the news in an email by its secretary general Mattias Grafstrom on Monday evening, who told them the organisation and Lamour had "agreed to part ways".

Last month, Lamour described the controversial Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) plans as "the project of one person", and said "the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions".

He added Fifa's own administration was "deceived" about the now abandoned project.

"Our mission - the mission of the hundreds of passionate, dedicated, and exemplary Fifa employees - is to serve football", he added.

"A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite."