the news now
This is a new development in a story we have covered before · earlier coverage

FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour Exits Following Conflict With Gianni Infantino

evening · · thread: FIFA Proposes Sale of World Cup Commercial Stakes, Sparking Fierce UEFA Backlash

6 sources across 5 countries · 1 of them is linked to a state

Who reported this

  • Le Monde France · Centre-left · Fonds pour l'independance de la presse
  • France 24 France · Centre · Public · France Medias Monde (French state holding)
  • Sueddeutsche Zeitung Germany · Centre-left · Sudwestdeutsche Medien Holding
  • Aftenposten Norway · Centre-right · Schibsted, Tinius Trust foundation
  • Al Jazeera Qatar · Centre-left · State-affiliated · Qatari government funded
  • Business Day South Africa · Centre-right · Arena Holdings (Lebashe Investment Group)

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.

FIFA announced on Monday, August 17, 2026, that the working relationship with its Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour, has ended. The departure follows a public conflict between the French official and FIFA President Gianni Infantino over a proposal to create a commercial company. This project aimed to establish a subsidiary valued at 20 billion dollars and sell a 20 percent stake to private equity investors to raise 4.2 billion dollars. Lamour had publicly criticized the plan as the project of one person and stated that FIFA staff had been deceived.

Infantino withdrew the proposal on August 1, shortly after Lamour's criticism and the resignation of senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, who also opposed the plan. Lise Klaveness, the president of the Norwegian Football Federation, described the removal of Lamour as unacceptable and characterized it as leadership based on fear. FIFA spokespeople stated they wish Lamour the best of luck for the future and declined further comment on the matter.

The incident occurs amid broader challenges to Infantino's leadership. The European, Asian, and North and Central American football confederations have expressed opposition to the president and called for an independent review of his conduct. Additionally, the human rights organization FairSquare has urged FIFA's Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee to rule Infantino ineligible for another term, arguing that his first stint in office should count toward the three term limit. While Infantino retains support from African and South American confederations, his bid for re-election in March is described by some sources as far from certain.

How each side framed it

Centre-left
These outlets framed the event as a struggle for freedom of speech and a fight against a culture of fear imposed by Infantino.
Centre
This outlet provided a concise report focusing on the removal of the official and the core conflict over the commercial company.
Centre-right
These outlets focused on the administrative fallout, the specific financial details of the commercial project, and the broader political opposition from football confederations.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.