Appointed in 2016, the first female and non-European in the role will lead this year’s Women’s World Cup before resigning at the end of the year.

FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura will leave her role at the end of the year after seven years of transforming the organisation, the world football governing body announced on Wednesday.

The former Senegalese diplomat became the first Black woman, Muslim and non-European, to be FIFA’s top administrator.

“FIFA today is a better governed, more open, more reliable and more transparent organisation. I will leave FIFA with a high sense of pride and fulfillment,” Samoura said in a statement.

“I had intended to share my news first with the FIFA Council members next week, but I am aware there has been growing speculation about my position in recent months,” Samoura added.

“For now, I am fully focused on the preparation and delivery of the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.”

Samoura will stay in the job she has held since 2016 through the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this coming July and August, and will leave at the end of the year, FIFA confirmed.

Samoura’s predecessor Jerome Valcke was fired in 2016 and banned for ethics violations after being found guilty of the 2015 FIFA corruption case.

Appointed in 2016 by recently elected President Infantino, Samoura has spearheaded a complete revamp at FIFA that included the appointment of two Deputy Secretary Generals, a new and fully developed Women’s Football Division, a Technical Development Division, a Chief Compliance Officer, and enhanced agendas for FIFA’s 211 member associations.

Samoura’s announced exit comes as FIFA confirmed it had struck a deal with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to televise the upcoming 2023 Women’s World Cup.

The Women’s World Cup will be the first to witness an increase by 300% to $150 million with “plans to dedicate a specific portion of this payment, to go to football development with another portion to go to players.”