Senior FIFA executive and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour has publicly stated that FIFA staff were deceived by President Gianni Infantino’s controversial plan to sell stakes in future FIFA World Cup profits to private equity funds. Lamour suggested that the project should not proceed.

In a statement to The Associated Press, Lamour, based in Zurich, defended his colleagues amid intense fallout from the proposal. He emphasized his long experience in banking and football, saying, “Football has been central to my life, and after more than 35 years in banking I understand both the value of this asset and the consequences of giving part of it away. That is why this proposal should be rejected.”

Lamour did not resign from his post, which he has held since 2024, but expressed a duty to his colleagues. His statement followed the resignation of Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs banker who had represented FIFA on the White House Task Force for the World Cup. Cordeiro urged other senior FIFA staff to speak out against the plan.

The sell-off plan has also sparked broader opposition, with UEFA threatening a boycott and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) standing in solidarity with UEFA and CONCACAF against FIFA’s proposal.

The controversy centers on Infantino’s initiative to monetize future World Cup revenues by selling stakes to private investors, a move that FIFA insists does not equate to “selling football.” However, the internal dissent and external pushback highlight significant challenges to the plan’s implementation.

Sources