FIFA COO Dismissed After Criticising Infantino Sends Farewell Email to Colleagues

FIFA COO Fired After Speaking Out Against Infantino

FIFA's chief operating officer has been dismissed from the organisation following criticism directed at president Gianni Infantino, with a farewell email the executive sent to colleagues now coming to light, according to reporting by The Australian.

The email, circulated internally before becoming public, sheds light on the tensions inside world football's governing body and the circumstances that led to the senior official's abrupt departure. The COO's willingness to challenge Infantino, one of the most powerful figures in global sport, appears to have cost the executive their position at the top of the organisation.

FIFA has not historically been an institution that tolerates internal dissent easily, and this dismissal fits a pattern of senior officials clashing with leadership and subsequently leaving under pressure. The specifics of what the COO said in criticism of Infantino have not been fully detailed, but the farewell email made clear the departure was not voluntary.

What the Farewell Email Revealed

The email sent by the outgoing COO to FIFA colleagues drew significant attention once it surfaced publicly. Rather than a routine goodbye message, it addressed the circumstances of the dismissal directly, signalling that the executive felt the exit was unjust.

The contents of the email, as reported by The Australian, paint a picture of an organisation where internal criticism of the president carries serious professional consequences. The COO used the message to communicate a version of events to peers before leaving the building for the last time.

Such correspondence rarely becomes public in organisations like FIFA, where internal affairs are typically kept tightly controlled. The fact that this email reached outside the institution suggests the dismissed official, or someone sympathetic to them, wanted the broader football community to understand what had happened.

Infantino's FIFA and a History of Internal Tension

Gianni Infantino has led FIFA since 2016 and has built a reputation for consolidating authority within the organisation. His tenure has not been without controversy, including scrutiny from Swiss and French prosecutors over separate matters in recent years.

The dismissal of a COO-level official over internal criticism, if confirmed as the primary cause, raises fresh questions about governance standards at FIFA headquarters in Zurich. Critics of the organisation have long argued that accountability structures inside FIFA remain weak, making it difficult for senior staff to raise concerns without fearing retaliation.

For the football world watching from the outside, the episode arrives at a sensitive moment. FIFA is preparing to host the expanded 2026 World Cup across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, an event that will place the organisation under greater scrutiny than ever. Any suggestion of instability or internal conflict at the top level will attract attention from sponsors, federations, and fans alike.

The Australian's reporting on the COO's email adds a rare piece of documentary evidence to what might otherwise remain a matter of competing claims. Emails of this kind give a timestamp and a direct voice to someone at the centre of an internal dispute, making it harder to dismiss the account entirely.

FIFA's response to the reporting, and any formal statement regarding the grounds for dismissal, had not been detailed in the available reporting at the time of publication.