Gianni Infantino deceived FIFA employees with his private investment project

Gianni Infantino is going through a new moment of tension at the helm of FIFA. The president of the governing body of world football received strong criticism from within the institution itself, after Kevin Lamour, the operations director, publicly criticized the project to incorporate private investors into the commercial business of the World Cup.

The statements from the French executive were made just hours after the resignation of Carlos Cordeiro, who served as Infantino's financial advisor at FIFA and as a liaison with the White House. Cordeiro decided to leave his position after expressing his disagreement with the proposal to sell private investors a 20% stake in the commercial arm of the World Cup.

In a statement, Lamour harshly questioned the strategy promoted by the FIFA president. The executive stated that Infantino "deceived FIFA employees" with his private investment proposal and considered that the organization's employees "deserve something better than contempt and intimidation".

Lamour, who shares a professional past with Infantino both at FIFA and UEFA, described the initiative as "a project of one person".

"This project should not only not move forward, but it is time for football's political leaders to ask the right questions and make the right decisions", he expressed.

Despite his criticisms, Lamour did not resign from the position he has held since 2024. However, he left open the possibility that his statements could have consequences for his future within FIFA.

The Frenchman stated that he felt the obligation to defend his colleagues and assured he was willing to face any repercussions. "And if that means I lose my job, so be it", he said. "I will understand and respect that decision. At least I will sleep well tonight", he added.