Alumni leading at FIFA World Cup 2026

This year’s FIFA World Cup is the largest in history.

Featuring 104 matches taking place in 16 different cities across three different countries, this tournament is one of epic proportions. It is also historic for South Florida: Miami is hosting matches for the World Cup for the first time.

At the heart of FIFA World Cup are a number of FIU alumni who are working to organize, advertise and host the tournament in Miami and across the world. These alumni are leaders in a variety of fields, ranging from hospitality to communications — and they are using their talents to bring the tournament to life.

Meet just three of these outstanding alumni.  

Daniel Marin ’05, MBA ‘11

Two-time alumnus Daniel Marin’s love for international communications — a love that was fostered by FIU — led him to one of the biggest jobs of his career: he is currently the executive director of public relations for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

“It’s very exciting,” he says. “This is a global event. I feel like I’m representing FIU, I feel like I’m representing Miami. It’s an honor. I lead the global communications around the FIFA World Cup, basically trying to put out all proactive information for fans [and] for stakeholders to know what the tournament is, where it’s going to be, how it’s going to be played and how people can participate. I’m really putting the tournament face-forward for the world to learn more about it.”

The seasoned PR executive is no stranger to big-name brands. He’s worked at Netflix and Amazon, leading international communications initiatives. 

For example, Marin inaugurated a role in which he served as the head of communications for Amazon Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios across Latin America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and U.S. Hispanic markets. He is particularly proud of starting Prime Video’s first U.S. Hispanic focused PR division to support Spanish-language content in the United States. 

His role at FIFA World Cup, though, is unlike anything he’s ever done before.

“We deal in the business of passion,” he says. “That’s not something that’s measurable per se. It’s not something that gives you quantitative data that you are always able to go back to... We can sense when something is really being accepted by fans. That is gut, not data. That’s very different.”

Marin says FIU opened his eyes to the power of international business.

“My FIU years were formative for me,” he says. “[They] put me on a path to really appreciate international business, international communications. I love being a bridge between entities in the United States and different parts of the world. That is what brought me to the doorstep of FIFA.”

Marin holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and an MBA from FIU. He says his journey shows that dreaming big and being open to opportunities makes all the difference. He also credits his wife — an FIU alumna herself — as being the "best support in the world, my biggest cheerleader” and a key reason behind his success.   

Besides being a PR executive, Marin is also an artist who runs his own art business. His work, which is mostly focused on mixed media pieces, sits in private collections in the U.S., Latin America and Europe, including the official collection of the city of Seattle and Europe’s LUMAS Gallery’s portfolio. His work has also been featured in gallery shows and multiple times at Spectrum, which is one of the major art fairs during Art Basel and Miami Art week. 

Christine Archilla ‘13

Fútbol runs in Christine Archilla’s blood. “My family is from Argentina,” she says. “Watching or playing fútbol is like a rite of passage. I’ve been a big fan for years.”

When she heard the FIFA World Cup was coming to Miami, Archilla, an event management maven, told herself she would find a way to be involved.

Today, she is the hospitality infrastructure manager for the FIFA World Cup. She is responsible for ensuring the infrastructure for all hospitality spaces across the stadiums will meet the needs of fans, guests and more.

“We’re mostly using American football fields and converting them to meet the needs of fútbol games,” Archilla says.

The viewing patterns, seating preferences and even kitchen requirements vary widely from American football to international fútbol. For instance, most football stadiums are equipped to allow for the sale of hotdogs and soda. But soccer fans come from all over the world, and food must cater to their needs and cultures.

“For example, we have Middle Eastern countries playing during the tournament,” Archilla says. “We need to accommodate for different allergens or restrictions. If guests are eating Halal, it needs to be available for anyone that is attending. We need to make sure the infrastructure provides for those needs. If we need an additional temporary kitchen or if we need another lounge area, we have to build it out and work with our suppliers to do that.”

Come game day, Archilla will be stepping into yet another role: she will be the hospitality venue manager at the Hard Rock Stadium. “My favorite thing about working an event is being on site,” Archilla says. “That’s what motivates me and excites me. I can’t wait to be there when the games start.”

As a hospitality and tourism management student at FIU, Archilla volunteered at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival® and interned at Viacom International Media Network with brands like MTV and VH1.

She went on to build an impressive career. She has worked at the Miami Film Festival, Live Arts Miami, the Museum of Art and Design and, most recently, at the Miami Book Fair, where she planned marketing campaigns and was involved in managing various of the fair’s events.

She has also worked at film festivals in New York and Los Angeles. She spent several months planning brand events — like a launch for Audi — in Panama and working for Dior in Mexico. She has been working at FIFA since last year.

“I’m very fortunate with how my trajectory has progressed,” Archilla says. “FIU has been a very big part of where I am today. Working at SOBEWFF blew my mind. I had a blast. From there, my experience in events kept going, and I’m here today.”

Karla Fortuny ‘17

Armed with a star-studded resume and key experiences in local government affairs, Karla Fortuny is combining her love of sports with her passion for service.

She is the vice president of government affairs for the FIFA World Cup Miami host committee, which is made up of top community leaders in a variety of fields. Committee members work together to help organize events and lead all of FIFA’s local needs for the tournament. Fortuny is on loan to the committee from Capital City Consulting, a lobbying firm where she is currently a partner.

In her role at the FIFA World Cup Miami committee, Fortuny oversees local relations with mayors, commissioners, counties and other partners. She also participates in state and federal relations with committee members. 

“I work making connections between FIFA, local government and community entities,” Fortuny says. “We partner with them on ways to bring the game to Miami and to create opportunities for the local community.”

For example, the committee is hosting a soccer clinic program for children. Kids receive uniforms, gear and top-notch coaching. The Miami committee is also hosting a 23-day fan festival at Bayfront Park from June 13 to July 5. The festival will feature a wide array of soccer activities, concerts and fun for the whole family. Fortuny is part of it all, working with committee leaders, commissioners and local partners to help organize the events. 

Being involved with FIFA is a dream come true for Fortuny. “I never thought I’d be able to work at a World Cup,” she says.

Fortuny, who majored in public relations, fell in love with the sports industry at an early age. Years ago, she interned for the Florida Panthers hockey team. She also held full-time positions in media relations for the Super Bowl Miami host committee in 2020 and in business development for Inter Miami CF.

She then switched gears and worked in local government, where she quickly climbed the ranks and became the chief of staff for a commissioner in the City of Miami. She also served as director of local government and community affairs at FIU before starting her job at Capital City.

To top off her already impressive list of accomplishments, Fortuny recently returned to the university for a law degree, and she is currently in her second year at FIU Law.

Fortuny is a proud Panther.

“FIU gave me the foundation I needed to work in public relations and to translate those skills to the government sector and community relations,” she says. “I’m so proud to be back earning my highest degree here and representing FIU at such a big stage as the World Cup.”