Landing a job at the FIFA World Cup with Stanley Smith II!

Meet Stanley Smith II.

The FIFA World Cup. That’s big time. Stanley stepped into that role just over 3 months ago (September 2025), landing a dream position ahead of the 2026 edition of the iconic tournament. But the journey didn’t start under the bright lights, it started at Eastern New Mexico University, coaching a DII soccer team that no longer exists.

Soccer has always been an integral part of Stanley’s life. He played growing up, continued in college at the University of Houston-Victoria, and even found himself playing semi-pro with the USL2. When his playing days ended, he spent another two seasons coaching while earning his master’s degree from Eastern New Mexico University. The experience revealed that coaching wasn’t going to be his path, but he still couldn’t imagine a career that would take him too far away from the game.

After wrapping up his second season with his team, Stanley turned his focus towards finishing his Masters capstone project and finding an opportunity to break into the business side of sports. That first opportunity came at the local YMCA. He started in a part time role as a sports monitor, eager to learn more about the logistics that went into managing sports opportunities for hundreds of local youths.

He went beyond what was asked and expected, and within 6 months earned himself a full-time spot on the team as a sports director. His responsibilities included managing the scheduling, staffing, and volunteer operations for each sport season, building partnerships with local schools and facilities to host events at, and leading a team of part time staff members who supported the programming, laying the groundwork for what was to come in his career.

When Covid hit in 2020, programming at the Y came to a halt, and consequently, Stanleys position was terminated. Not ideal. To keep himself busy, he returned briefly to the world of coaching, supporting the North Texas Olympic Development Program. Still, his focus remained on finding his next opportunity outside of coaching.

That opportunity came in October with Soccer Youth, where Stanley joined as a Social Media and Recruitment Coordinator. In the role, he connected with local clubs in the cities hosting Soccer Youth events, inviting their players and coaches to participate while helping drive sign-ups online. He also launched the “Box to Box” Series on Instagram Live, a creative way to highlight players in the program and bring them face-to-face with collegiate and professional athletes he’d met throughout his own playing and coaching career. The work was impactful, and even after leaving Soccer Youth, Stanley had the opportunity to support them as a Tournament Director in the future. Pretty cool.

Stanley’s next move was a big one, packing his bags and heading across the country to Florida to join IMG Academy. He was initially hired to mentor student athletes in residential life, but prioritized networking with the other staff on campus to ultimately transition into the events department. In the new role he helped run large-scale tournaments including the IMG Cup, which hosted 140-160 teams over four days.

To prepare for his first IMG Cup, Stanley sought out opportunities to support another major youth tournament. He got connected with the USL and had the opportunity to shadow a tournament director at one of their youth tournaments in the area. He was essentially volunteering, with the pay he received being just enough to cover his travel expenses, but the experience was invaluable for two reasons.

The effort was rewarded in the short term, as Stanley successfully navigated his first IMG Cup. But perhaps even more consequential, Stanleys efforts impressed the USL staff, and they invited him back to help at another event - this time with an added bonus that they wanted to interview him for a position on their team.

Event Operations is the behind-the-scenes engine that brings major sporting events to life. From managing venues and coordinating schedules to overseeing volunteers, logistics, and fan experiences, event ops professionals ensure that every moving part works seamlessly.

It’s where logistics meet leadership, the invisible structure that makes a global event feel effortless. In roles like Stanley’s at FIFA, that means overseeing the people and systems that turn a tournament into a once-in-a-lifetime experience: guiding 65,000 volunteers, 16 host cities, and millions of fans to move in perfect sync.

Stanley impressed (no surprise) and was offered a director level position with the league to support the Super Y League (now known as USL Youth), the USL’s youth program. It was a full circle moment to go from playing in the USL2, to now working with the league.

It was hard work, especially in the summers when the programming was held. Late nights, long days at the facility, but as Stanley will tell you (and I will attest) those are the moments where you really grow as a team. Stanley did just that. Over his 3.5 years with the USL, Stanley and his team grew the youth league from 450 to nearly 700 teams, introduced new operational processes, and helped secure the league’s first ever title sponsor for its finals. In the process, Stanley earned a promotion to Senior Director, cementing his place as an expert in the world of soccer and event operations.

Stanley loved being at the USL, but when he started to see FIFA World Cup positions pop up, he couldn’t help but throw his name in the hat. He landed an interview for the volunteer operation position he now holds, and funnily enough had his first interview with another IMG events alumni (speaks to the power of working at a major brand). The connection combined with his strong events background from his time with the USL earned him the offer. Dream job secured.

Now with the 2026 FIFA World Cup rapidly approaching, Stanley is making his mark on the event by working with his team to oversee and implement the recruitment and training of 65,000 volunteers from a record 1 million+ applications, making it the largest volunteer program in FIFA history. In his role, he will provide support for each host city’s volunteer manager to ensure consistency, collaboration, and an unforgettable experience for fans and participants worldwide.

And to think, it all started at the local Y.

Q. How have your playing and coaching careers influenced your professional career in sports?

A. As a player, I developed an understanding for accountability, teamwork, adaptability, and understanding different cultures & backgrounds. These qualities shape how I approach new challenges and communicate with others. Coaching really challenged me and taught me how to lead and motivate others. I also was in situations where being able to manage diverse personalities was important to the success of the team.

A. This event brings people together from all different cultures and backgrounds, so my skills in project & people management and building positive relationships with my team in order to reach our end goal are very important. 

With this being the first time that the World Cup will be held in 3 different countries, there are a lot of unknowns and new obstacles that need solution. I’ve had to rely heavily on my communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills in order to keep the project on track.

Having a passion for the game of football is not necessarily a skill, but it always keeps me motivated to do my job to the best of my ability.

A. Every transition always had a purpose for me, so I think that always helped when transitioning from place to place. Apart from that, having hobbies and networking with people outside of the professional setting allowed me to settle in and make myself feel comfortable. From there I have always been able to find people with similar interest and really gives me a healthy work-life balance in a place that is new to me.

My message to young professionals would be “be comfortable with the uncomfortable” and “take strategic risks.” Each job is an opportunity to learn and grow while you’re figuring out what your end goal is. During that time your goal could change and you could create a different path, but you have to take that first step in order to find out. 

A. Expect the unexpected. Event ops is all about managing moving parts and being able to adapt when needed. You can do your best to prepare for every scenario, but there is always going to be something that comes up that you didn’t expect or is out of your control. Being able to remain calm in these situations keeps your consumers from overreacting, and also builds trust within your staff when guiding them to find a solution.

Control the controllables. Always make sure things that are in your control are done to the best of your ability. When your pieces are running smoothly, this will allow you to step away and assist in other areas that need to get to the same level of efficiency.

Remember your why. The behind the scenes work is always tough. There will be days that you work more hours than you should. There are days that you have to do the same task repeatedly because of last minute changes or request. At the end of the day, when you see the final product come to life and remember who you’re doing it for it is worth it.

1. Every role builds toward something bigger
From painting soccer fields to managing international tournaments, Stanley’s career shows that no task is too small to matter. Each experience, whether in coaching, community programs, or event logistics, added a new skill that shaped his path to the FIFA World Cup.

2. Power of the brand
Working at organizations like IMG Academy and the United Soccer League gave Stanley credibility. The brand recognition opened doors, and the alumni networks connected him with former colleagues and hiring managers across the sports industry. No doubt that working at the FIFA World Cup will do the same.

3. Get uncomfortable
Stanley’s success has always followed intentional risk - moving states for a new job, volunteering for experience, or taking on challenges without all the answers. His willingness to be comfortable being uncomfortable is what allowed his career to scale from local to global.

A heartfelt thank you for reading through this edition of So You Want to Work in Sports… It means the world to me.

If you have any feedback, a guest recommendation, would like to be featured yourself, or have any questions, please email me at [email protected].

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