Rights groups accuse FIFA of silencing dissent after COO Lamour’s exit

Aug 18 : FIFA’s latest senior departure drew sharp criticism from human rights and labour groups on Tuesday, with campaigners saying Kevin Lamour’s exit raised fresh concerns about governance and dissent inside soccer’s global governing body.

FIFA said on Monday that chief operating officer Lamour had left the organisation, weeks after he publicly criticised president Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup and other tournaments.

Lamour joined FIFA’s senior leadership group in November 2024, having previously been part of the inner circle that campaigned for Infantino’s election as FIFA president in 2016.

Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, told Reuters that FIFA “needs more whistleblowers like Kevin Lamour”.

Worden said FIFA had “a long history of breaking its own human rights rules”, citing the awarding of the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, which she described as involving “a sham due diligence process”.

She said Lamour and his team had made “good faith efforts” to meet rights defenders and survivors of abuse, assess risks within FIFA’s operations and attempt to remedy some human rights abuses caused by FIFA or its government partners.

“FIFA needs more — not fewer — senior officials prepared to own and answer for its poor governance systems that lead to human rights catastrophes,” Worden said.

Reuters has contacted FIFA for comment.

‘TOXIC ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE’

Andrea Florence, executive director of the Sport & Rights Alliance, described Lamour’s departure in comments to Reuters as “yet another sign that FIFA’s toxic organisational structure needs major reform”.

Florence said Lamour had played a key role in several human rights advances at FIFA, including the official recognition of the Afghan Women’s National Team and public advocacy for wrongly imprisoned football journalist Christophe Gleizes.

“Kevin has been exactly the kind of courageous, principled and responsible leadership that is so needed in sports governance,” Florence said.

She added that Lamour’s statement about the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal had put “his commitment to transparency and integrity on full display”.

“His departure sends a chilling message to all of FIFA that not only must you obey and remain silent but also that any dissent won’t be tolerated,” Florence said.

Ambet Yuson, general secretary of Building and Wood Workers International, told Reuters that Lamour had been “a constructive partner” on workers’ rights.

“He played a key role in the signing of the first-ever agreement between BWI Global Union and FIFA to advance workers’ rights at FIFA tournaments,” Yuson said.

“His dismissal is yet another reminder that the governance crisis engulfing FIFA threatens to undermine human rights protections at the heart of world football.”