48 Teams. 104 Matches. 12 Expert Speakers.

Please join the American Center in Moscow for monthly events as part of its FIFA World Cup 2026 Speaker Series. These speaker events are organized around three overarching themes: 1) Behind the Tournament: Planning, Cities, and Innovation; 2) People, Passion, and Culture; and 3) Media, Language, and Careers. Please see the schedule of confirmed events below. 

Schedule:

Monday, September 22, 19:00 MSK: The FIFA World Cup 101: How It Works and Why It Matters

The World Cup is the biggest and most-watched sporting event in the world, uniting nations through a shared love of football. This talk breaks down how the tournament works—from qualifiers to the final—and explores why it holds such powerful cultural, political, and economic significance globally.

About the speaker: Clemente Lisi is a veteran journalist with over two decades of experience, specializing in both news and sports. He has worked for major outlets such as the New York Post, New York Daily News, and ABCNews.com, and served as an Associate Professor of Journalism at The King’s College in New York from 2017 to 2023. A lifelong soccer enthusiast, he has authored several books on the sport, including "The FIFA World Cup: A History of the Planet’s Biggest Sporting Event." He has covered multiple World Cups on the ground, including in South Africa, Brazil, Russia, and Qatar and writes about the game on his Substack newsletter Planet Soccer. Currently, he is the Executive Editor at Religion Unplugged and continues to write extensively on soccer and global affairs for various publications.

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Wednesday, December 3, 20:00 MSK: The World Cup Comes to America: Looking Forward to 2026

Hosting major international sporting events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup can leave a lasting positive impact on the cities that host them, including bringing economic benefits, increased tourism, and the opportunity for creating a lasting legacy. Learn how Los Angeles is preparing to host eight matches of the World Cup and how the City is leveraging this once-in-a-generation opportunity.

About the speaker: Ashley Stracke has worked for the City of Los Angeles for over 15 years, most recently supporting Mayor Karen Bass’s work on international event diplomacy related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Before joining Mayor Bass’ team, she was the Executive Officer to the Chief of Staff for Mayor Eric Garcetti where she oversaw the development of the $145 million Housing and Community Development Consolidated Plan Budget, the Mayor’s General Manager Review process, and advised the Chief of Staff and Mayor on employee relations matters. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped oversee the City’s emergency response, focusing on implementing programs to support older adults and low-income families. She has a Master’s degree in Public Policy with a focus on International Relations from Princeton University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.

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Tuesday, December 16, 20:00 MSK: Beyond the Final Whistle: The Lasting Impact and Legacies of the World Cup

This talk explores the far-reaching legacies of the FIFA World Cup, looking beyond the spectacle to examine how host nations are transformed long after the tournament ends. We’ll unpack the economic impacts—both the promises and the pitfalls—and consider how World Cup investments shape education, cultural exchange, national identity, and long-term infrastructure development. Drawing on global case studies, the session highlights what truly remains once the stadium lights dim: from urban regeneration and tourism shifts to community programs, social cohesion, and the evolving cultural footprint of the world’s most-watched sporting event.

About the speaker: Lisa Delpy Neirotti, Ph.D. has been a professor of sport, event, and tourism management at The George Washington University School of Business for 35 years and is the Director of the BS, MBA, and M.S. in Sport Management. She also oversees the GW Sport Philanthropy Executive Certificate, Youth Sport Administrator Certificate, and the GW Green Sports Scorecard.  Recognized as an Olympic scholar, Dr. Neirotti has attended 22 consecutive Olympic Games and teaches for the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Masters in Management of Sports Organizations (MEMOS).  Furthermore, she has participated in six World Cups and was a founding member of the Women in Sports & Events (WISE) DC Chapter.  Dr. Neirotti co-authored the Ultimate Guide to Sport Marketing and founded the Sports Industry Networking and Career (SINC) conference and the Travel, Events, and Management in Sports (TEAMS) conference.  Areas of expertise include mega-event management and marketing, sponsorship, sport tourism, sport philanthropy, economic impact, sustainability, youth sports, entrepreneurship, non-profit management and marketing, and legacy. 

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Monday, January 19, 19:00 MSK: World Cup 2026: Revolutionized by Technology

This discussion will focus on advancements in technology across stadiums, broadcasting, and in-game integration. Utilizing the 2025 Club World Cup as a testing ground for many of these improvements, as well as best practices from other sports around the world, FIFA has made ambitious efforts to integrate a tremendous amount of new technology improvements to the matchday experience this summer. From the widely talked about impact of VAR to the results of high stakes matches to the technology you don’t see as a fan that enhances your in-stadium experience, we will break down some of the more impactful improvements that will be integrated into the 2026 tournament across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

About the speaker: Scott Rezendes is the Owner of the Soccer Syndicate, a club side consultancy, supporting professional teams with player identification needs and also serves as an Adjunct Professor in Global Soccer at the George Washington University. He has spent almost 20 years in the professional game in a variety of leadership roles – advocating for players, managing clubs, and scouting countless matches. Scott has worked at the Major League Soccer Players Association, as a Sporting Director/General Manager of multiple US professional soccer clubs, consults with leagues and clubs on player identification projects throughout the US and has advised multiple domestic based investment groups on opportunities in US professional soccer. Scott currently serves as the Vice President of the American Premier Soccer League. Scott also served as a Team Services Venue Officer for FIFA last summer during the 2025 Club World Cup.

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Tuesday, March 3, 19:00 MSK: Perspectives from the Pitch

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is poised to supercharge soccer’s growth in the United States from the youth to the pro level. Liam Coffey and Tommaso Lami are teammates on the George Washington University soccer team (NCAA D1) with global backgrounds and a wide range of experiences as young professionals in the sports industry. The two share perspectives with moderator Joshua Peng on how FIFA shaped their soccer journeys, how the World Cup will shape youth soccer in the US, and advice for other young professionals looking to enter the sports industry.

About the speakers:
Liam Coffey is a graduate student pursuing a Master’s degree in Sports Management at George Washington University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Statistics from College of the Holy Cross, where he also competed as a four-year member of the men’s soccer program. Coffey currently continues his collegiate playing career at George Washington.

Tommaso Lami, 22, is an Italian footballer who spent six years in the professional system at Bologna FC before moving to the United States to pursue academics and NCAA competition. After earning Freshman of the Year, First and Second Team All-Conference honors, two Player of the Week awards, and Goal of the Month, he now competes at the Division I level at George Washington University while studying Sport Management.

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Monday, March 16, 19:00 MSK: Hosts with the Most: Inside the Communications Strategies of World Cup Host Cities and Venues

As the largest and most dispersed tournament in history, the 2026 FIFA World Cup represents an opportunity for cities from Boston to Guadalajara to market themselves to a global audience. Meredith Geisler, a senior sports public relations professional with 30 years of experience, joins to discuss how different venues and markets are using public relations and communications to publicize their role in the World Cup.

About the speaker: With over 30 years of experience in sports public relations, Meredith Geisler joined the George Washington University in 2022 as a visiting assistant professor of sport management at the School of Business. She was named assistant professor of sport management in August 2024. Prior to her appointment at GW, Meredith was senior vice president of communications for Tandem Sports + Entertainment. Prior to helping launch Tandem in 2013, Meredith founded sports PR company Meredith Communications in 2001. Before that, Meredith held senior roles at Advantage International (now Octagon), Fila USA, Total Sports and eoSports. In addition to the athletes, authors and organizations above, Meredith has also been responsible for public relations campaigns for such notable athletes as Baseball Hall of Famers Derek Jeter and Cal Ripken; NBA player Shane Battier; pro golfer Annika Sorenstam, and NASCAR driver Paulie Harraka; sports authors Christine Brennan, Mike Freeman, Kathy Orton and Bob Mitchell; and corporate clients Naturade, PGC Basketball, On the Line, University of Dreams, Geier Financial Management, and Wolf Creek Golf Course.

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Monday, April 20, 19:00 MSK: Soccer and Its Place in The Diplomatic Arena

From the Christmas Football Truce of 1914 to the FIFA World Cup, soccer has held a prominent role as a facilitator of people-to-people exchange, nation-branding, and diplomacy. Yifei Kevin Niu, a student at Harvard University and author of The Diplomatic Arena: Untold Stories in International Sports, joins to discuss the history of soccer as a bridge-builder and the significance of the upcoming tournament in North America.

About the speaker: Yifei Kevin Niu is currently a student at Harvard University. He is the author of The Diplomatic Arena: Untold Stories in International Sports and is passionate about educating youth worldwide on people-to-people diplomacy. Most recently, Kevin has begun conducting research at the Ash Center of the Harvard Kennedy School as part of a book project on the intersection of professional sports, democracy, and civic health. In his free time, Kevin loves to travel, play tennis, and write poems.

Monday, May 18, 19:00 MSK: Recruitment and Talent Management in American Soccer: A Conversation with Matt Laczkowsk

With the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup less than a month away, US soccer is preparing to host the largest global soccer tournament ever held. This represents an opportunity for the US to grow as a soccer country from the grassroots, to the collegiate, to the pro level. Matt joins to discuss the professional soccer pipeline in the US and the landscape of soccer recruiting.

About the speaker: Matt Laczkowski is Legal Counsel for Fortress GB, a leader in technology solutions tailored for the sports and entertainment industry. He is also the co-founder of UniVarCity, a platform that connects college athletes the opportunity to earn meaningful money providing coaching, instruction, and mentoring. From 2021 to 2025, Matt served as Director of Sporting Administration at St. Louis City SC of the MLS. Previously, he was Director of Athlete and Talent Representation at Tandem Sports and Entertainment. He has also taught Intercollegiate Athletics Management as an Adjunct Professor at St. Louis University.

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ALL AMERICAN CENTER IN MOSCOW EVENTS ARE FREE OF CHARGE / ALL EVENTS OF THE AMERICAN CENTER IN MOSCOW ARE FREE OF CHARGE

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