GIS Masterclass: The Evolution of the FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is more than just a football tournament. It is one of the most powerful sporting, cultural, and commercial products ever created.

Join the Global Institute of Sport for an exciting webinar exploring The Evolution of the FIFA World Cup as a Sporting Event and Global Product and discover how the tournament grew from a small international competition into one of the biggest entertainment spectacles on Earth. From its first edition in 1930 featuring just 13 teams to the expanded 48-team format of 2026, the FIFA World Cup has continuously evolved alongside changes in media, technology, business, politics, and global culture.

The session will be delivered by GIS Recruitment Manager and alumnus Richard Cross, joined by Jarno Stegman, an expert in the area of sporting mega-event delivery and impact.

This engaging session will explore:

• How the FIFA World Cup evolved across different eras
• The commercial growth of football’s biggest tournament
• The impact of television, digital media, and streaming on global audiences
• How sponsorship and broadcasting transformed the World Cup into a multi-billion-dollar product
• The role of politics, culture, and identity within the tournament
• How fan engagement changed through social media and content creation
• What the future holds for the World Cup and international football

The webinar will also examine the enormous scale of the modern World Cup. The 2022 FIFA World Cup generated billions of global engagements across broadcast and digital platforms, while the tournament continues to attract some of the largest audiences in sporting history.

You will also explore how the FIFA World Cup became a global entertainment product that extends far beyond football, influencing fashion, music, tourism, media, and international relations.

Perfect for:

• Students interested in sports business and football history
• Aspiring marketers, media professionals, and sports executives
• Football fans fascinated by the World Cup’s global impact
• Anyone interested in the evolution of modern sport

Discover how the FIFA World Cup became one of the most influential sporting products in history and why its evolution continues to shape the future of global football.