The Careers Behind the FIFA World Cup: Roles You Never See on TV

Every four years, the FIFA World Cup creates storylines that are remembered for decades after, but behind every goal, comeback and upset are thousands of vital jobs that make the tournament happen.

The purpose of this article is to provide students who aspire to work at a World Cup with two examples of unseen roles that are essential to the delivery of the event.

FIFA Tournament Football Analysts

Ever wondered where national teams get their data from during the World Cup, or who exactly it is that provides the statistics shown on your screen during a game?

The answer to that lies with FIFA’s team of Tournament Football Analysts, 50 experts who collect the data received by national teams and fans during the tournament.

Their primary role is to code each and every World Cup fixture, which means they record and count every event from shots on target and crosses to final third entries and line breaks. 

From this data, the analysts can build reports that identify tactical trends and styles of play to help coaches prepare.

In 2022, the statistics were used in FIFA’s Enhanced Football Intelligence service that collected performance data for each competing nation. This year, Football AI Pro will provide similar performance insights to all 48 teams—insights that can ultimately influence the outcome of a match.

As for the viewers, the data coded by the Tournament Football Analysts can be accessed too. Real-time insights during each game will be shown to billions around the world, enhancing the viewing experience for fans who want to know the numbers behind the beautiful game.

Aleks Asenov, a GIS graduate, is one of the Tournament Football Analysts who will be working on the 2026 World Cup to provide these services, while Pascal Xanthos, assistant coach of Hearts Women and former GIS student, held the role in the 2022 edition.

Just one of the many analysts that work behind the scenes during the World Cup, Aleks and Pascal’s roles highlight the amount of opportunities there are for aspiring students with the right skillset. But what other areas are there?

Tournament Operations

For students who want to have a real impact on a World Cup from a different angle, operational roles are some of the most important, and are ultimately responsible for planning and executing the event itself.

Sharifa Wilkinson was one of the event managers who worked at the 2022 World Cup in the roles of Workforce Operations Specialist and Last Mile Cluster Manager.

Ahead of the tournament, her responsibilities included the planning, organising, and delivery of crowd management operations across five locations, including two airports, two fan zones, and the FIFA Fan Festival. This saw the movement of over 1 million people in the space of a month.

Speaking to GIS, Sharifa described some of her all-important role.

“In the lead-up to a major sporting event, hopefully most of the planning is complete. If it is,

much of the work focuses on readiness: simulations, tabletop exercises, executing test

events, staff and volunteer training, refining policies and procedures, staffing plans, etc.”

An example of the exercises carried out was the use of local school children and their families to simulate crowd flows into the FIFA Fan Festival to stress-test the venue, allowing Sharifa and her team to refine their plans based on real outcomes.

With so many tasks to undertake, the role can be a hectic one, and Sharifa remembered days of up to 18 hours in the final stretch before the event.

“The intensity in this period also has a knock-on effect going into the delivery

phase, which makes strong preparation even more critical.”

“Equally important is staying engaged with your team: checking on their wellbeing, ensuring

they have what they need, and keeping morale high. Throughout, you’re continuously

looking for ways to improve operations.”

She further advised students on the importance of wellbeing when it comes to operational success, saying: “Regular check-ins with yourself and your team members are just as important as operational briefings. These events are demanding enough without adding preventable wellness issues to the mix.”

Finally, Sharifa advised anyone aspiring to work in similar roles to learn one skill in particular: 

“Without question—relationship management. 

“I once had a colleague tell me, ‘The best plan in the world is at best 85% effective.’ That remaining 15% will always require on-the-ground management, and that’s where relationships matter. 

“Having strong connections allows you to get support, ask for help, and adapt quickly.

“If those relationships aren’t built before the event, it’s much harder to establish them in the

moment when you need them most. Being approachable, respectful, and collaborative

pays dividends throughout planning and delivery. 

“At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, I worked with 15+ key stakeholders and dozens of staff every day. Relationships were tested hourly, and the partnerships that held strongest were those built on calm communication, mutual respect, and openness to collaboration.”

Exploring two of the many roles that make the World Cup tick, other professionals that operate behind the scenes range from broadcasters and media officers to IT specialists and sponsorship managers. Combined, the work done by these staff shows how the tournament relies on far more than the players on the pitch, offering some inspiration to students who aspire to impact the world’s largest sporting event.

To take your first step into any of these vital careers, explore our course offerings.

Article by Zakaria Anani