Fifa executive joins Burnham in questioning Infantino
Fifa offers $40m if nations back controversial plan
Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s position came under further scrutiny on Friday as the governing body’s chief operating officer strongly criticised his plan to sell stakes in competitions to private investors.
In a statement released to the Associated Press, Kevin Lamour described the controversial plans as “the project of one person” and said “the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions”.
The lengthy statement did not mention Infantino by name.
It came on the same day a third confederation spoke out against the plans, a senior adviser to Infantino resigned, and Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the Swiss was “the wrong man” to lead Fifa.
US President Donald Trump – addressing the proposals for the first time – said he had not spoken to Infantino about the plans.
The two have developed a close relationshipsince Trump assumed office for a second time in 2025.
Lamour said in his statement: “Our mission – the mission of the hundreds of passionate, dedicated, and exemplary Fifa employees – is to serve football.
“A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite.”
Lamour acknowledged he had a duty of loyalty to his employer but also to “certain values” and supporting his colleagues.
“If that means I lose my job, then so be it,” he added. “I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had earlier said it “stands in solidarity” with counterparts in Europe and North, Central America and the Caribbean.
The AFC added Infantino’s plan could not “realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward”.
“The Fifa World Cup is the pinnacle of global football and derives its strength from the participation of all Confederations and the world’s leading football nations,” it said.
“Any proposal that risks undermining the unity and universal character of the competition must be reconsidered.”
Shortly after that statement, Carlos Cordeiro – Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance – resigned, saying the proposal was “a bad deal for football” and would “mortgage football’s future”.
Burnham later described Infantino’s proposal as an “outrageous suggestion”.
“The idea that it could even be brought forward shows that, in my view, [he] is the wrong man to lead the organisation,” he added.
The AFC’s statement means Infantino’s plans are unlikely to be approved by Fifa members if put to a vote.
Infantino had indicated the proposals would need a straight majority to go through – meaning 106 of its 211 members needed to vote in favour for the proposal.
Uefa – the body that governs European football – has 55 votes. Concacaf, which oversees football in North, Central America and the Caribbean, has 35 and Asia has 46.
Should all member associations back the stance of their governing body, that would mean 136 nations are against Infantino’s plan.
What are Infantino’s plans?
Fifa and Infantino want to create a commercial subsidiary to run its main events, including its World Cups, and external investors will be able to buy stakes in it.
It said it would “invite third parties to make minority, non-controlling investments” in a new subsidiary – Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE).
In a 25-page document created by investment bank JP Morgan, it is made clear Fifa’s tournaments would expand to hit an estimated increased pay-out of 24m euros per member association in the 2035-2039 cycle.
It mentions “new business initiatives” and “attracting top talent with incentive-driven compensation”.
The World Cup is described in it as the “most widely viewed” sporting event but Fifa, by contrast, is said to be “under-monetised”.
There is no mention in the document of the women’s game.
If approval is granted, Fifa says Thrive Eternal is expected to lead the proposed investor group for FFE.
Thrive is an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner – the brother of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared.
‘If I lose my job, so be it – at least I’ll sleep well’
As chief operating officer, Lamour is two layers of management below Infantino.
In his – which has been seen by BBC Sport – Lamour said “what has been announced in recent days and what has been happening behind the scenes in recent months defies belief and imagination”.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult for Fifa’s administration to work under these conditions and fulfil its mission,” he wrote.
“I have no authority to speak on behalf of my colleagues, and perhaps I am mistaken. But 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.
“I know I have a duty of loyalty to my employer. But I also, and above all, have a duty of loyalty to certain values and to support my colleagues.”
Lamour joined Fifa in November 2024, having previously served as deputy general secretary at Uefa.
Cordeiro, meanwhile, had been a Fifa senior adviser for four years and 11 months.
He represented the world governing body on the White House taskforce for the 2026 World Cup and was a former investment banker with Goldman Sachs.
Appointed in September 2021, he is the first senior figure at Fifa to resign over the plans.
In a lengthy statement, Cordeiro said he “unequivocally” opposed the plans and said he “did not accept the proposition” Fifa needed outside investors to “unlock greater value”.
“The proposal has become a defining question for Fifa’s future,” he wrote.
“Fifa’s responsibility is not to maximise commercial returns at any cost. It is to protect and strengthen football for future generations.
“When those principles come into conflict, football must come first.”
Cordeiro said he had no involvement in this proposal.
“Most troubling of all is the absence of answers to fundamental questions,” he added. “Why this deal? Why now? What oversight exists? Who benefits?” he wrote.
“These questions remain largely unanswered, and yet member associations are being asked to make a decision of enormous consequence in barely 50 days or risk being left behind.
“That is not a responsible way to determine the future of the world’s game.”
By BBC New