Gianni Infantino has been accused of ‘deceiving’ FIFA staff as pressure continues to grow amid the plans to sell stakes of the World Cup to private investors. The major twist has seen the organisation’s chief operating officer turn on the plans.
Kevin Lamour, who has served as FIFA’s COO since 2024, claims Infantino “deceived” staff with his plans in a damning statement shared with AP, asserting they “deserve better than contempt and intimidation.
He said: “It is the project of one person. Not only must this project not go ahead … but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.”
Lamour, who previously worked alongside Infantino at UEFA, stopped short of resigning like Cordeiro, but added: “And if that means I lose my job, then so be it. I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”
His remarks follow swiftly after Cordeiro’s decision to step down from his position over the proposals, which led UEFA to confirm their member nations will boycott future tournaments should they proceed.
“I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” Cordeiro said.
“Let me be clear. I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally,” he added, describing the proposed $20 billion commercial subsidiary as a “bad deal for football”.