00:00FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lemur has left the organization,
00:04weeks after publicly criticizing Johnny Infantino's plan to sell a stake
00:08in the commercial rights of the World Cup and other tournaments.
00:12Lemur joined FIFA's senior leadership group in November 2024,
00:16having previously been part of the campaign for Infantino's election as FIFA president in 2016.
00:23FIFA confirmed that its working relationship with Lemur ended on August 17, 2026.
00:30Lemur had criticized the proposed commercial rights deal,
00:34saying FIFA staff had been deceived and describing the plan as the project of one person.
00:41His departure comes after Carlos Cordero, a senior advisor to Infantino,
00:46also resigned in protest against the proposal Infantino later withdrew the plan to create a $20 billion subsidiary
00:53and sell up to a 20% stake to private equity investors for $4.2 billion.
01:00The controversy has put Infantino's bid for a fourth term as FIFA president in doubt.
01:06UEFA, the AFC, and CONCACAF are opposing Infantino,
01:10while he retains support from the African and South American confederations.
01:15The Scottish Football Association has also said it will not support Infantino's re-election.
01:20Human rights organization Fair Square has urged FIFA's Governance, Audit, and Compliance Committee
01:26to rule Infantino ineligible, arguing that FIFA's rules limit presidents to three terms.
