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There were 75,784 lucky people watching the FIFA Women's World Cup final at Stadium Australia on 20 August 20 and I was one. This is my second World Cup working with FIFA, but I don’t work in the type of role that you might traditionally associate with working in football. I’m not a coach, I don’t work in football development, and I don’t work for a football club. Instead, I work in event operations, helping behind the scenes to make big events happen. I’m passionate about women’s football, having played football as a child, and the fact the tournament was being co-hosted by Australia where I grew up made it a dream event to work on.  

But how did I end up working on the biggest events in football? And what exactly do I do? I’ve worked in major sports events since 2007, across a variety of sports and in different roles at all levels. I started out volunteering at as many events as I could fit around my day job, getting experience in different areas and learning as much as I could. I progressed to entry-level administrative roles, gradually taking on more responsibility at each event I worked on. At every major event there are different 'functional areas' which all work together to put the event on, so there’s always lots to learn about.

This is one of the things I love most about working on events, as no two days are the same and you are always learning new things. For FIFA I have been working in guest operations and protocol, which involves managing the VIP and VVIP Lounges at recent World Cups. Our team manages the operations of the lounges while the matches are and works with staff from the tournament headquarters. We collaborate on the guest list, how the guests get to the match, and where they will be seated in the VVIP lounge according to the seating order or preference.

Because of this need for collaboration, which extends to most of the other functional areas, what I do is hugely varied. I can be working with colleagues from the competitions team on the route from the VVIP Lounge to the dressing rooms for dignitaries such as prime ministers or presidents of FIFA’s member associations. At the same time, I can be having conversations with the transport team on how to get people into and out of the stadium. Or I will work with the overlay team on getting carpet laid and temporary walls built. I frequently speak to my colleagues in access control and security about all the entry points to the lounges, and managing access to ensure that only the right people are in the lounge. Then there are the signage and venue dressing teams, who I communicate with to ensure that the branding is right and people can find their way through the stadium to the lounges.

There are also catering contractors, and companies that help to make the lounges look gorgeous, with cosy furniture and beautiful flower arrangements. I work closely with venue management teams from both the local FIFA organising committee and those who are employed by the stadium in the host country.  In the course of each day, I’ll constantly be switching between discussions on different aspects of work with different functional areas, so good attention to detail and a grasp of other people’s work is very important. But at the core of everything we do is the football, and understanding the nature of a football match, and ensuring we create the best possible experience for everyone attending in person.

 

Ready to go

Match days start early. I arrive at the stadium seven or eight hours before kick-off, with walkthroughs of the lounge and then venue general meetings. Then there are briefings with the volunteer team, ensuring that any changes from the last match are put in place and the volunteers are ready to go, as they’re an important part of the matchday team.

Something special at this World Cup was that on each match day, staff or volunteers with a connection to the competing teams explained their history with football, and what football means to their country. Several of the talks had the room in tears, and they are always personal, emotional and hugely inspiring.

Matches themselves always pass in a blur. From about three hours before the match to one hour after the final whistle, the day is always very busy. After the match there are also reports to write, which is a great chance to reflect on what’s gone well and what we’d like to improve for next time. With 11 matches in Sydney across two different stadiums, there was always a lot to think about!

One of the most amazing things about working in event operations is the camaraderie and teamwork among the staff. There are people who have worked on the tournament for years, and people like me who come in to work the tournament on short-term contracts.  In Australia I was alongside people from so many different nations, and our guest operations team included colleagues from Brazil, Canada, Russia, Australia, Malaysia and Wales.

After a few days the staff are like family – they are the people who pick you up when you face challenges, help you out to make things run smoothly, and who laugh with you at the end of the day. I’ve certainly needed support from everyone here, as I tore my quad quite badly playing social five-a-side football part of the way through the tournament, which made getting around such a big stadium very difficult!

Although the tournament is over, I’m looking forward to learning about a new functional area, as a member of the Sports and Major Events Unit at Steer Consulting, a global transport consultancy. Steer will be working on the 2023 Champions League Final in London, so I can’t wait to get started on a new challenge in football.

So those 75,784 people at the final in Australia? I might not have seen a minute of the match, but I was there, playing my part in making it happen – a childhood dream to be at the World Cup come true.

Anneli MacDonald is a freelance Events Consultant who has worked on a range of international sporting events including the 2022 Commonwealth Games as well as the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. She also serves as a board member for UK Deaf Sport and BowlsWales.

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