Argentine soccer federation and FIU offer 10-week sports leadership program

The arrival of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami and the opening of a U.S. headquarters in Wynwood has Miami feeling like a second home to the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA), which aims to expand the Argentine soccer brand in the United States and around the world.

On Tuesday, AFA announced a partnership with Florida International University for a 10-week sports leadership program that kicks off June 27 to coincide with the Copa America tournament, which is being held in the United States from June 20 to July 14. The final is at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Argentina won in 2021 and will be looking to defend its title.

The 10 seminars in the program will be led by soccer and sports industry experts and cover topics such as sports management, sports governance, athlete contracts, sports communication and marketing, the growth of women’s sports and sports nutrition. Lionel Scaloni, the coach of the Argentine national team, is expected to participate in one of the sessions, which will be a mix of in-person and virtual lectures.

Eduardo Gamarra, a professor in FIU’s Department of Politics and International Relations, called the launch of the program “a landmark achievement that bridges educational excellence with athletic prowess. This agreement signifies a powerful collaboration between a major U.S. public university and the reigning World Cup champions, fostering a unique exchange of knowledge and expertise that will benefit both institutions and future sports leaders globally.”

The program will be affiliated with FIU’s Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center.

“Miami and FIU are natural partners for this endeavor, especially in advance of next month’s Copa America and the 2026 World Cup, which will both have games played here,” said Shlomi

Dinar, the dean of FIU’s Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs. “We hope this partnership with AFA opens the door for more collaborative activities between FIU and Argentinean organizations.”

Leandro Petersen, the chief commercial and marketing officer at AFA, added: “The idea of collaborating with an academic institution aligns perfectly with our goals. The idea is to democratize the growth of the sports industry by having leaders from FIFA and soccer clubs in Europe