FIFA Chief Operating Officer (COO) Kevin Lamore has left the organisation after publicly criticising President Gianni Infantino’s proposed plan to commercialise the World Cup and other major competitions.

FIFA confirmed that its professional relationship with Lamore ended on 17 August, but did not give a specific reason for his departure.

Lamore’s exit comes amid an internal dispute over the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial entity that would have been involved in running major events including the World Cup and Club World Cup, with private investors taking a stake.

The plan faced strong opposition from sections of the football community and was later scrapped.

A FIFA spokesperson said, “FIFA can confirm that FIFA’s relationship with Kevin Lamore as FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer ended on August 17.” The organisation thanked him for his two years of service and wished him well for the future, while declining to comment further.

Lamore had publicly raised concerns about the FFE proposal in an interview with the Associated Press in late July. He alleged that FIFA staff had not been fully informed about the implications of the plan and claimed they had been “deceived” about it.

He also described the FFE as a “one-man project”, questioning the decision-making process at FIFA headquarters and calling on football’s political leaders to ask the right questions before making decisions.

Lamore acknowledged that speaking publicly about Infantino’s leadership could cost him his job.

“If it means I lose my job, so be it. I will understand and respect that decision. At least I can sleep peacefully at night,” he said.

Under the FFE proposal, FIFA had planned to create a new commercial entity and sell a significant minority stake to an investor group. The proposed structure included a 20% stake for private investors, with the entity intended to oversee major competitions such as the World Cup and Club World Cup.

The proposal raised questions about the level of private influence over FIFA’s flagship competitions before it was eventually abandoned.

However, the scrapping of the plan did not end the tensions within FIFA. FIFA Secretary General Mathias Grafström informed staff of Lamore’s departure by email, saying the decision had been made after “careful consideration” and thanking him for his work overseeing the organisation’s day-to-day operations.

Lamore was a senior figure in FIFA’s organisational structure, reporting two levels below Infantino. He was also absent from a meeting in Morocco earlier this month where, according to BBC Sport, senior executives backed Infantino.

Lamore has spent nearly two decades working in football administration. He joined UEFA in 2007 and worked alongside Infantino before later becoming the organisation’s deputy secretary general.

He joined FIFA in November 2024 and served as COO, overseeing relationships with stakeholders and key infrastructure projects.

FIFA has not said whether Lamore’s departure was directly linked to his criticism of the FFE plan. His exit, however, comes only weeks after he publicly challenged the proposal and Infantino’s leadership.