Kevin Lamour’s departure comes less than three weeks after he publicly questioned the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, calling it “the project of one person” and alleging that the organisation’s administration had been “deceived.”

FIFA has parted ways with its Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour, less than three weeks after the senior executive publicly criticised President Gianni Infantino over an abandoned plan to commercialise the governing body’s competition rights.

FIFA confirmed on Monday that its working relationship with Lamour had ended, bringing to a close his two-year tenure as the organisation’s Chief Operating Officer.

A FIFA spokesperson said: “The working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026.”

The governing body thanked Lamour for his two years of service but did not provide further details about the circumstances surrounding his departure.

Lamour’s exit comes shortly after he openly challenged the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative, a controversial plan involving the management and commercialisation of FIFA’s competition rights, including ticketing and other revenue-generating activities.

The proposal had reportedly involved the creation of a separate commercial entity and the sale of a stake in the company to outside investors. However, the plan was eventually abandoned following internal and external concerns.

Lamour was particularly critical of the initiative, describing it as “the project of one person” and suggesting that FIFA’s administration had not been given a full and accurate picture of the proposal.

He also claimed that the organisation’s administration had been “deceived” over the initiative, comments that placed him at odds with the leadership of the world football governing body.

His remarks attracted significant attention because of his senior position within FIFA and came at a time when the organisation was facing scrutiny over the proposed restructuring of its commercial operations.

Lamour had served as FIFA’s COO for two years and was involved in the organisation’s operational activities at a senior level. His departure therefore represents a significant change within FIFA’s administration.

FIFA, however, has not publicly linked Lamour’s departure to his criticism of the FFE proposal.

The governing body’s brief statement focused on the end of the working relationship and expressed appreciation for his service.

The timing of the announcement is nevertheless likely to fuel further questions about the internal disagreements surrounding the abandoned commercial initiative and the extent of opposition to the proposal within FIFA.

The FIFA Forward programme was established to provide financial support for football development projects around the world, while the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise was intended to explore new commercial opportunities connected to FIFA competitions.

The collapse of the initiative and Lamour’s subsequent departure now add another layer to the controversy, particularly given his unusually direct criticism of the project and the circumstances in which he left the organisation.

For now, FIFA has not announced a permanent replacement for Lamour or provided details about the next steps for its operations following his departure.