FIFA World Cup includes Cortland connections

06/24/2026

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been described as colossal by almost any measure.

And from medicine to marketing to media relations, SUNY Cortland students and alumni are contributing to the six-week spectacle.

The most high-profile example is Dr. Bert Mandelbaum '75, a former biological sciences major who serves as the chief medical officer for U.S. Soccer and one of the world's most respected orthopedic surgeons. Mandelbaum plays a pivotal role in overseeing medical support for the U.S. Men's National Team.

Several other Red Dragons, representing academic programs from sport management to graphic design and digital media, are among the hundreds of thousands of workers contributing to logistics behind the scenes.

More than six million fans are expected to attend 104 soccer matches taking place across three countries, with more than a billion fans following worldwide. For comparison, this year's Super Bowl was watched by 125.6 million people in the U.S., while the 2022 World Cup final reached an estimated 1.42 billion people, according to The Athletic.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has likened the 2026 World Cup to "104 Super Bowls," which speaks to the size and the magnitude of the event.

Julia Kito, a sport management major from Voorheesville, N.Y., is volunteering in a media operations and services role in Boston, where she had the opportunity to be on the field for a group stage game between Scotland and Morocco.

Scottish fans - called the Tartan Army - have earned a reputation for passionate support of their team at this year's tournament. Kito witnessed it firsthand during the playing of Scotland's national anthem.

"It was such a surreal moment and honestly a dream come true to be at the World Cup gaining career experience at this stage in my life," said Kito, who will enter her junior year in the fall.

From Boston to the San Francisco Bay Area, there are Cortland connections, with several of them highlighted below.

Greg Abdallah '11, M '16
Deputy Venue and Inside Venue Operations Manager (Boston)

If you had to describe your work at the World Cup, what would you say?

In my role as deputy venue manager and inside venue operations manager, I help oversee the day-to-day execution of hospitality operations within the stadium. That includes coordinating with FIFA, stadium staff, vendors and stakeholders; ensuring hospitality spaces are event-ready; monitoring guest experiences; and resolving operational challenges in real time.

On a match day, I work closely with venue leadership to manage venue flows, support guest services, coordinate staffing and catering operations, and ensure that FIFA's high standards are consistently met. My goal is to help create a seamless, world-class experience for every hospitality guest while keeping operations running smoothly behind the scenes.

My most rewarding World Cup experience so far has been:

One of my most rewarding World Cup experiences was having the opportunity to stand next to the player tunnel as the teams made their entrance onto the field before our first match. After months of planning and working through challenges once operations began, it was a full-circle moment that made all the hard work worthwhile.

The atmosphere has been incredible. Everywhere you look, there are bagpipes, passionate fans and visitors from around the world who feel honored to be part of the event. Whether it's a son thanking his father for providing this once-in-a-lifetime experience or two friends from Scotland attending their first World Cup since their country last qualified 28 years ago, there is simply no atmosphere in sports quite like it.

I also had the chance to take an evening off and visit the local fan fest in downtown Boston. On the train ride home, a group of Scottish fans sat with us and thanked us for being such a welcoming and hospitable city. They spoke about what an honor it was to see their country return to the World Cup after so many years, and moments like that reinforce the global impact and significance of this event.

One thing that the casual soccer fan may not realize about the World Cup is:

What many casual soccer fans may not realize is the tremendous amount of planning and coordination required to host a World Cup. Years of preparation go into every aspect of the tournament, from venue operations and hospitality to transportation, security, marketing and government protocols.

Every detail is carefully discussed and evaluated, from furniture selection and stadium layouts to diplomatic procedures and cultural considerations. The level of collaboration across numerous functional areas and organizations is remarkable, and it takes an enormous effort behind the scenes to bring an event of this scale to life.

How did your Cortland education help you?

As a student, I took advantage of every opportunity available to gain hands-on experience in the sports industry. From completing a summer internship with the New York Jets' video team during training camp to serving as an event manager for the Athletics Department, each experience helped me develop valuable skills and expand my professional network.

Favorite sport-related memory:

As a member of the MLS (Major League Soccer) league office events department, kicking off the first game in the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament during the COVID-19 pandemic was a pretty proud moment. It showed that despite a worldwide pandemic taking place, we were able to unite people through sport.

As a fan, attending the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. We had standing-row tickets and were hanging out in the upper deck. It was the end of the 7th inning and they started launching T-shirts from the field. Next thing you know, I am leaning down on the ground protecting the T-shirt I caught out of thin air.

Kellie Cavalier M '13
Director, Host City (San Francisco Bay Area)

If you had to describe your work at the World Cup, what would you say?

My role is to serve as the FIFA representative in my city working directly with the local organizers, or host committee. I work to support FIFA in their communication with the host committee … and generally problem solve across FIFA and local partners.

My most rewarding World Cup experience so far has been:

Having incredibly supportive colleagues as part of my team. Prior to this, I have mostly worked in smaller organizations as opposed to large corporations and it has been wonderful to have colleagues with my same role across each host city. We collaborate, offer support and help each other through tricky situations and it's a really special group,

One thing that the casual soccer fan may not realize about the World Cup is:

As compared to prior World Cups where all the games were held in one nation, the 2026 edition is kind of like 16 small World Cups - happening across three countries - and the level of coordination is extreme. Each city, state and country operates differently and it's a big puzzle to figure out how to make it all function as one tournament.

How did your Cortland education help you?

During my program at Cortland, I was able to work on the 2012 London Olympics which was my first time working on a mega event (a large-scale event with a global reach). This allowed me to build my resume from that point to being a good candidate to work on another mega event now in 2026.

After the World Cup is over, what will your work look like?

Our team will be focused on recording results and metrics from each of the host cities, and wrapping up with reporting efforts. For me, following this summer, I'm not sure what comes next. I'm looking for a new role in sports strategy that will leverage my experience and allow me to do my favorite things: build teams and projects.

Favorite sport-related memory:

The first big sporting event that I ever attend was the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. I was a young soccer player at the time growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area and my mom got us tickets to go see the tournament locally. It's really been an honor, and a full circle moment, to be able to return to the region to be part of delivering the 2026 FIFA World Cup here. It's not something that many folks will get to accomplish in their professional lives and I'm excited I get to bring the same joy to fans that I once experienced myself.

Zachary Goodman '23
Assistant On-Site Operations Manager (On Location)

If you had to describe what you'll be doing at the World Cup, what would you say?

As an assistant on-site operations manager with On Location, I'll be helping coordinate hospitality and event operations for VIP guests and corporate partners. My role will focus on ensuring a seamless experience by managing logistics, guest services and behind-the-scenes event execution.

What's the one thing that you are most looking forward to?

I'm mostly looking forward to being part of an event that brings together people from so many different cultures and backgrounds. The FIFA World Cup showcases some of the strongest emotion, passion and national pride in sports. Soccer has been a major part of my life since I was a young kid, both as a player and a fan, so it's exciting to experience the sport on its biggest stage from a professional perspective.

How did your Cortland education help you?

SUNY Cortland gave me both the educational foundation and the hands-on experience needed to succeed in a sporting event environment. The event practicum coursework was especially impactful, as it provided real-world, behind-the-scenes experience supporting events and showed me how much goes into making them successful. Those experiences ultimately led me toward a career in event operations.

After the World Cup is over, what will your work look like?

Immediately afterward, I'll be joining the USTA (U.S. Tennis Association) at the U.S. Open as a credential operator. In that role, I'll help manage the credentialing process for players, staff, vendors and guests by verifying information, issuing credentials and supporting access control operations throughout the tournament. It's another opportunity to work behind the scenes at a world-class sporting event and continue building my experience in event operations.

Favorite sport-related memory:

One of my favorite sport-related memories comes from working with the NHL on fan events for both the Winter Classic in Miami and the Stadium Series in Tampa. Being part of the pregame activations and then seeing the games and fan energy come to life in person was an incredible experience. In Tampa especially, we saw record attendance for a pregame fan event with over 25,000 fans. Getting to experience the game atmosphere firsthand - including even a moment with the Stanley Cup - really showed me the scale and impact of live sports events.

Julia Kito
Media Operations and Services Volunteer (Boston)

If you had to describe what you're doing at the World Cup in simple terms, what would you say?

My role consists of assisting the media representatives coming to the stadium to make their job easier. I am stationed in locations including the stadium media center, press box and on the pitch.

What's the one thing that you are most looking forward to at the World Cup?

I'm looking forward to experiencing the soccer industry on a global stage, which is a career pathway I would love to follow.

How has your Cortland education helped you?

I've learned the importance of finding key lessons from my hands-on experiences that enhance the content we learn in our classes. There is only so much our classes can teach us, and the rest comes from getting that experience through internships or jobs.

I've also been able to increase my confidence through the department by getting involved more on campus, which has helped me have the courage to go after new experiences and challenge myself to grow and learn from a professional perspective.

What are you looking forward to during the rest of your Cortland career?

As the president of the newly formed Women in Sport Club on campus, I hope to continue through the next two years to broaden our members, plan events for students to consistently get hands-on experience throughout the school year and promote and empower women in the sports industry.

What's your dream job?

My dream job is to work in women's professional soccer in sport media operations.

Favorite sport-related memory:

My favorite sports memory is a recent one from the FIFA World Cup, when I was pitch side at the group stage game between Scotland between Morocco, hearing the Scottish national anthem in a packed stadium full of Scottish fans. It was such a surreal moment and honestly a dream come true to be at the World Cup gaining career experience at this stage in my life.

Craig Valentino '08
Senior Brand Designer

If you had to describe what you're doing at the World Cup in simple terms, what would you say?

I help lead the design team for On Location, the official provider of the FIFA hospitality program. I define, manage and execute enterprise-level brand experiences and creative, scalable to all participating host city venues and ensure consistency to a unified FIFA brand standard.

Specifically, my focus is on art direction, creative development and brand design for the full hospitality brand experience, such as the program-wide brand look and feel for all 16 host city venues, small format and large format graphic applications, experiential design and creative development for photo ops and activations. I also provide creative leadership to both internal and external designers and design partners.

What's the one thing that you have enjoyed the most at the World Cup?

I have enjoyed the opportunity to take part in the largest sporting event in world history. In nearly two decades of being a designer, I have yet to be part of something to this scale, so it has been fun to take on the challenge of working in a new way and interacting with many different people to reach goals and make this program happen. It's been such a privilege to apply my experiences and passion for the work that I do to something that hopefully has a large impact on someone's experience.

How did your Cortland education help you?

Looking back, if it wasn't for the professors and mentors who inspired my passion for design and creativity during my time at Cortland, I'm not sure I would still be on this career path. I chose to major in new media design relatively late in my college experience, with little understanding of the work, the skills required or the industry itself. Not only did I gain a strong foundation in design, but I also quickly developed a genuine passion for it thanks to the guidance and influence of the faculty - particularly Martine Barnaby, professor of art and art history.

After the World Cup is over, what will your work look like?

After the FIFA World Cup, I hope to continue forward in brand design and creative leadership with On Location, who also take part in many other large sporting events associated with the NFL, MLB, WWE, UFC and the Olympics. I also have a new love for experiential design and an interest in returning to agency work where those skills can be applied.

Favorite sport-related memory:

Every year since I was a kid, my dad and I have attended New York Giants Training Camp. Watching the team practice and meeting the players was always an unforgettable experience growing up. Today, one of the most rewarding parts of being a parent is passing that tradition on to my 5-year-old son, who has enjoyed it just as much over the last few years.