Infantino faces backlash as Lamour speaks out against World Cup deal
The Guardian Sport • 3 min read • Latest: Aug 18, 2026, 2:25 PM
Last updated Aug 18, 2026

Kevin Lamour, former FIFA chief operating officer, publicly opposed Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell parts of the World Cup to private investors, claiming the administration was 'deceived' by Infantino. Lamour's dissent highlights internal conflicts within FIFA and raises questions about the motivations behind the controversial plan. He stated he would accept any repercussions for his stance, emphasizing personal integrity over compliance. This situation sheds light on the challenges facing FIFA amid scrutiny over revenue generation strategies.
- •Kevin Lamour criticized Gianni Infantino's World Cup sale proposal.
- •He claimed FIFA was 'deceived' by Infantino's administration.
- •Lamour expressed willingness to accept job loss for his dissent.
- •The controversy arises amid scrutiny of FIFA's revenue strategies.
- 2:25 PMThe Guardian Sport — Football Daily | Infantino wields the axe after Lamour breaks rank inside Fifa’s fiefdom
"Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! A senior Fifa blazer held in such rare high regard that the prescient synth-pop duo Erasure named a single after him long before he entered the intoxicating world of football administration, Kevin Lamour was a lone dissenting voice inside Fifa’s lair when Gianni Infantino’s plot to flog part of the World Cup to private investors – potentially on the cheap – was rumbled last month. A plan so half-baked it succeeded only in ruining the holidays of Proper Journalists who naively hoped they might enjoy some leisure time after weeks of being studiously ignored by Gianni in the foyers of various luxury hotels dotted across North America, the then chief operating officer of Fifa had witheringly described the sell-off proposal as “the project of one person”. Refusing to sign off on the deal, Lamour said the administration had been “deceived” by Gianni, adding that if speaking up against his boss “means I lose my job, then so be it. I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.” Upon reading the final article in Monday’s missive [full email edition – Football Daily Ed], I noted the final sentence of Memory Lane commenced with “(insert name of whoever is in the news as being on the end of a bad foul, bad behaviour, etc, here)”. I may be doing you a gross disservice but I couldn’t help feeling this was a Wizard of Oz moment where the curtain was momentarily drawn back, revealing (insert witty denouement here)” – Anthony Brady. Further to Monday’s letter about players’ wages. To put things into perspective, if we estimate the average Premier League player’s wage to be, say, £5m per annum, or £100,000 per week, this works out that in one week such a player gets (hardly earns) more than the likes of Jimmy Greaves earned in his complete football career. If we go back to players like Finney, Milburn and Lofthouse the difference is even greater” – Stewart McGuinness. I’m glad Rob Smyth was dissing a lousy movie and not the Gigli, Beniamino, the Italian tenor, in my humble opinion the best there ever has been. Well, I needed something to take my mind off the football!” – Bob Cushion. This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. Continue reading...
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
EPL•Aug 18, 2026, 4:38 PMWalsall sign ex-West Ham goalkeeper Wooster
EPL•Aug 18, 2026, 4:31 PMPremier League chief says Fifa self-destructed over World Cup plan
EPL•Aug 18, 2026, 4:31 PMTicket Information: Brighton & Hove Albion (A)
EPL•Aug 18, 2026, 4:15 PMInside Man City's heated locker room argument which left Pep Guardiola in tears
EPL•Aug 18, 2026, 4:04 PM'We've remained in contact' with Grealish - Kinnear
EPL•Aug 18, 2026, 3:50 PMReport: Aston Villa defender moving closer to summer exit
