FIFA COO Lamour says staff deceived over Infantino’s World Cup plan

What the report says

FIFA’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, has publicly criticized President Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell a stake in future World Cup-related profits to private investors. In a statement reported by The Associated Press and published by Al Jazeera on 31 July 2026, Lamour said staff were misled by the way the plan was developed and argued the proposal should not move forward. He said colleagues deserved better treatment and suggested the project reflected the will of one person rather than a broader football consensus.

Lamour’s comments came amid growing internal backlash over Infantino’s proposal to create a $20 billion commercial subsidiary that would include World Cups and Club World Cups for men and women. Under the plan, 20 percent would be owned by private investors, with a New York investment fund linked to Joshua Kushner described as the anchor investor. The report said FIFA has offered some member federations, including in Africa and Asia, $20 million each by a September 19 deadline as part of the broader discussions.

The same day, Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to Infantino and former US Soccer Federation president, resigned and also rejected the plan. He said he had not been involved in the proposal and called it a poor deal for football. The criticism matters because FIFA is financially strong, with large reserves and no debt, yet the plan would give outside investors a permanent share in one of the sport’s most valuable assets.