Photo By: Anthony Kerr
January 29, 2026
One soon-to-be graduate of St. John’s University will find himself at the center stage of the world’s largest sporting event when the FIFA World Cup 2026™ begins in North America in June.
Kevin Messam, a senior who will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in sport management, has been hired as a Team Liaison Officer and will serve as a point of contact between FIFA, the teams, stadiums, host nations, and other stakeholders. Kevin will begin the full-time position immediately after St. John’s May 17 commencement.
The FIFA World Cup begins June 11 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and continues through the championship game on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
“The World Cup is the largest sporting event in the world,” Kevin said. “The heroes that emerge from the World Cup are heroes in their countries forever. It is a great opportunity to mobilize the growth of the game in North America.”
FIFA’s Team Liaison Officers are assigned to each of the 48 nations competing in the World Cup. They are selected from among an extensive list of applicants based on their background in sport management, knowledge of soccer, and ability to forge relationships with players, coaches, administrators, and other executives.
Team Liaison Officers are assigned to individual teams based on the employee’s location, language fluency, knowledge of the country’s culture, and more. Kevin is likely to be assigned to a primarily English-speaking team when Team Liaison Officers meet with FIFA next month in Atlanta, GA.
Those teams could include hosts Canada and the United States, as well as Australia, England, New Zealand, Scotland, or South Africa. Other teams, including Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, could also qualify.
Despite American and Canadian dual citizenship, the Toronto, Canada, native hopes to work with England, considered a tournament favorite. “England would be ideal because one of the senior representatives of the Men’s National Team is a friend and a mentor,” Kevin said. “But he cannot say to FIFA that ‘we want Kevin’ and I cannot say ‘I want England.’”
Among his daily responsibilities, Kevin will help to manage team members’ daily activities, accompany the team to World Cup meetings, coordinate with medical and nutritional staff, and resolve any emerging issues. It is a demanding job that will not allow him much time to enjoy the pageantry of the event, which was last played in the United States in 1994.
The FIFA World Cup 2026™ is expected to be the biggest World Cup ever. FIFA expanded the field to 48 teams from the traditional 32. More than 100 matches will be played—up from 64—across 16 North American cities, and more than five million fans are expected to attend matches.
Kevin’s rich background in soccer and international sports made him an ideal candidate for a Team Liaison Officer position. A former club player in Canada, he has worked as an event manager for CONCACAF, one of FIFA’s six continental confederations, that represents soccer associations in Central and North America and parts of South America.
Kevin has also worked as a National Team Coordinator for the World Baseball Classic and as Director of Partnerships for the apparel brand Bklyn Athletics, where he secured strategic partnerships with sports brands including the National Basketball Association and Major League Soccer (MLS).
Kevin came to St. John’s at age 48 after earning an associate’s degree at Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY. He will be away from his wife and young daughter through at least the opening stage of the tournament.
“What an exceptional ambassador Kevin will be for St. John’s,” said David P. Hedlund, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Division of Sport Management, The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies. “Every once in a while, there are students we meet, teach, and work with whom we know will be successful in the future. While rare in number, Kevin is one of these students.”
Kevin said he will rely on the undergraduate preparation he received at St. John’s to help him navigate the inevitable challenges of his World Cup position.
St. John’s undergraduate sport management program was introduced in 2002. The 36-credit Master of Professional Studies program followed five years later. In 2025, the master’s program was named one of the nation’s best by SportBusiness, an industry thought leader and consultant to sport leagues and teams worldwide.
Kevin continues a tradition of St. John’s sport management graduates who have gone on to secure high-level positions with sport teams and leagues across the globe.
Among those alumni is Devin Morgan ’22M.P.S., who serves as Manager of Competition for MLS, a top-tier league with franchises in the US and Canada. While at St. John’s, Mr. Morgan served as a graduate assistant at the Collins College of Professional Studies and as an intern for the Division of Sport Management.
“These experiences provided one-on-one training from professors that significantly improved my writing, research, and critical-thinking capabilities,” Mr. Morgan said. “Encouragement from leaders within the Division of Sport Management played a significant role in preparing me for my current position.”