FIFA chief Kevin Lamour has been sacked just weeks after publicly turning on president Gianni Infantino over his controversial plan to sell a stake in the World Cup's commercial operation to private investors.
Lamour, who served as FIFA's chief operating officer, has left the organisation less than two years after making the switch from UEFA.
His exit comes after he delivered an extraordinary public rebuke of Infantino and the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme, which ultimately collapsed amid fierce opposition.
Lamour had accused the governing body of being "deceived" over the plans and claimed Infantino "believes he embodies FIFA when he is supposed to be at its service".
The senior executive also appeared to acknowledge that his intervention could cost him his position when he spoke out on July 31.
"If that means I lose my job, then so be it," Lamour said at the time. "I will understand and respect that decision. At least I'll sleep well tonight."
Just over two weeks later, Lamour's time at FIFA is over, according to the BBC.
The exact circumstances surrounding his departure have not been disclosed, although FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström informed employees that the chief operating officer would be leaving.
A FIFA spokesperson said: "FIFA can confirm that the working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as FIFA's chief operating officer has ended on 17 August 2026.
"FIFA thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future. No further comment will be made on the matter."
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Lamour's departure is another major development in the turmoil engulfing Infantino following the collapse of the FFE proposal.
The scheme would have seen a new company established to oversee commercial and ticketing rights for FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, with a 21 per cent stake sold to a private investment company.
Lamour was scathing about the way the proposal had been handled and suggested discontent inside FIFA stretched beyond his own concerns.
He claimed colleagues "deserve better than contempt and intimidation" and added: "My feeling is that we all want to be proud to work for Fifa, and today, unfortunately, it seems that is no longer the case for many of us."
His intervention came on the same day Carlos Cordeiro, one of Infantino's senior advisers, resigned in protest over the proposals.
Lamour's exit is particularly striking given his lengthy professional relationship with Infantino.
Before joining FIFA, he had served as UEFA's deputy secretary general and had worked for European football's governing body since 2007, including during Infantino's own spell at UEFA.
His removal now threatens to intensify scrutiny of the FIFA president at a time when his leadership is already under significant pressure.
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