FIFA is in full-blown meltdown mode — and the man who dared to call out president Gianni Infantino’s disastrous World Cup sell-off plan just delivered a parting shot that’s shaking the global game to its core.
Kevin Lamour, sacked Monday as FIFA’s chief operating officer after publicly challenging Infantino’s bid to sell shares in the World Cup to private investors, sent a fiery farewell email to colleagues that stopped just short of naming the embattled president — but left no doubt about who he was taking aim at.
“Please never forget that in life, it’s not about doing what’s easy; it’s about doing what’s right,” Lamour wrote in the internal email, seen by Sky News. “The vast majority of you have understood this and put it into practice in your work. Every single day. So, hats off to you and my deepest respect.”
“FIFA is going through a difficult period”
Lamour didn’t hold back on the chaos engulfing soccer’s governing body, telling staff: “FIFA is going through a difficult period, but don’t worry. Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay it’s not the end.”
The fired COO — who went public two and a half weeks ago urging Infantino to drop the controversial sell-off plan — thanked staff for hundreds of messages that “really warmed my heart” since his bombshell intervention.
He claimed colleagues were “deceived” by the lack of transparency over the sell-off talks, adding that FIFA staffers “deserve better than contempt and intimidation” after being reduced to “the project of one person.”
A pointed thank-you — and a conspicuous silence
There was zero mention of Infantino in the farewell note. But Lamour opened by praising secretary general Mattias Grafstrom — the head of FIFA’s administration — in what read like a clear signal of where his loyalties lay.
“I would like to thank Mattias for his trust. His task is not an easy one, and he is doing his utmost to protect FIFA’s interests,” Lamour wrote. “Mattias, I’m sorry for sometimes putting you in difficult situations… but thank you for always understanding me, never judging me and supporting me right up to the very end.”
He saved his most emotional words for the rank-and-file: “You can be proud of the work you do, and you can be proud of yourselves. Since coming here, I’ve met some outstanding professionals and wonderful people. You are FIFA. And without you, FIFA is nothing.”
The exodus accelerates
The sacking comes as Infantino’s grip on power looks shakier by the day, with football associations pulling their support ahead of the March election.
Israel became the latest to jump ship, with Israel Football Association president Moshe Shino Zuares — also a UEFA executive committee member — writing to FIFA to retract his association’s previous letter of endorsement.
“Recent developments have caused an unprecedented crisis of trust, which we still hope can yet be resolved, between the vision held by UEFA and other confederations, and that of FIFA, regarding the governance of world football,” Zuares wrote.
“The divide between the parties appears profound, substantive, and principled, compelling all stakeholders to reconsider the path forward. In the circumstances that have arisen, we have no choice but to retract our previous letter of support.”
World Cup sell-off sparks revolt
The uproar centers on Infantino’s abandoned plan to sell shares in the World Cup to private investors — a move that sent shockwaves through the global game and triggered a coordinated backlash from European nations threatening to boycott FIFA competitions.
Lamour’s public stand against the scheme cost him his job. But his farewell message suggests he has no regrets — and his parting words are now fueling the growing insurrection against the man who fired him.
As the March election looms, the question gripping the soccer world is simple: can Infantino survive the revolt he sparked — or is the game’s most powerful man about to be sent off?
