The FIFA World Cup 2026 has begun. Billions of eyes are turning towards the world’s most-watched sporting occasion. And FIU alumni and college students are amongst the communicators following the story and permitting followers to expertise the motion wherever they are — whether or not sitting in a stadium at a recreation or on their sofa watching the motion unfold.
From communications and media relations to advertising and marketing and fan engagement, Panthers are contributing their abilities to prime organizations linked to the event and enjoying a pivotal function in protecting the World Cup. Their work displays not solely the rising affect of Miami on the international soccer stage, but additionally FIU’s function in making ready professionals to thrive in fast-paced, worldwide industries — and significantly at the juncture of communications, journalism, sports and leisure.
For many of those Panthers, the journey to the World Cup started in lecture rooms, studios and internships at FIU’s College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA). Learn about just a few CARTA college students and alumni who are telling the story of the World Cup.
Top row, left to proper: Mariangel Flores; Abraham Mendoza; and Isabella Frias. Bottom row, left to proper: Jesus Arreaza; Daniela Rios; and Isabel Brime
Following the story and constructing connections
Storytelling performs a important function in connecting followers to the event. Through communications, content material creation and model growth, alumni are on the story.
Alumnus Jesus Arreaza is an affiliate producer at Telemundo. He contributes to the ecosystem surrounding the event. As the World Cup approaches, many prime networks are trying in the direction of steady protection to assist be certain that followers, stakeholders and media audiences stay knowledgeable and engaged. Telemundo will probably be providing Siguiendo, a particular programming meant for FIFA World Cup followers that don’t need to miss a second of the pleasure.
Arreaza will probably be spearheading the graphics and content material for this program. “It’s important to know that you’re working when the matches are on, but the action never stops. So my job never stops, but it’s exciting.”
Mariangel Flores, Abraham Mendoza and Isabel Brime are also among the alumni helping connect fans with the World Cup through their respective roles in sports, marketing and event-related organizations.
Whether supporting campaigns, cultivating relationships or developing strategies that bring fans closer to the action, their work contributes to the broader experience surrounding the tournament.
Flores, a digital web producer at Telemundo Deportes, says, “having the alternative to contribute to protection of considered one of the world’s biggest sporting occasions is very significant as somebody who grew up enthusiastic about sports and storytelling.”
Also at Telemundo, Mendoza is working his second FIFA World Cup as a livestream producer. “Being able to say that I have now worked through two FIFA World Cups at 27 years old makes me feel incredibly proud and grateful,” Mendoza says.
Brime, who’s serving as a beginning lineup volunteer with FIFA World Cup, stated her expertise in the FIU BOLD Agency as a scholar helped her stand out from the crowd.
“Due to my communications experience and passion, I was able to be assigned to the highly coveted media relations role, where I will get to assist with media access control, crowd management and event logistics, ensuring a seamless and professional experience for journalists, photographers and tournament stakeholders,” explains Brime.
For alumna Daniela Rios, being a part of this global soccer movement is not only hard to believe, but a testament that hard work pays off. “I’ll quickly be serving as a manufacturing supervisor for a serious worldwide broadcast firm that I can’t publicly identify simply but, and receiving my FIFA accreditation e-mail was a type of surreal moments that jogged my memory to belief the course of,” she says. “You by no means know who’s watching your work ethic.”
The subsequent technology of sports professionals
Current college students are additionally gaining beneficial communications experiences.
School of Communication scholar Isabella Frias is amongst these contributing to World Cup-related initiatives whereas working as a digital net producer for Telemundo Deportes, supporting digital operations and content material manufacturing.
A sneak peak right into a day in her life? “No two days are exactly the same, which is one the most exciting aspects of working in sports media,” she states. Instead, she proudly shares that the majority of the consumer-facing content material out there on the Telemundo app is a product of her doing.
“When you open the Telemundo app and see the “EN VIVO” label next to a match or show, there’s a good chance I helped make that happen,” she says. “Throughout the day, I help publish game highlights, goals, breaking news and clips across the Telemundo Deportes YouTube, the website and the app.”
The work of these Panthers serves as a reminder that while the world’s attention may be fixed on the pitch, the communicators who help share the stories, content and news about the FIFA World Cup are a crucial aspect of the experiece.
For these alumni and student communicators, working the World Cup makes them feel like they already reached “the aim.”