FIFA Master 26th edition class present wide-ranging final project research
Research topics selected by the FIFA Master 26th edition class, which cover a broad range of global sporting issues, were successfully presented to the public on Thursday 23rd July 2026 at the University of Neuchâtel.
The work by the students, which was the culmination of a year of group research, is multidisciplinary in nature to reflect the three core FIFA Master themes of Management (SDA Bocconi), Law (University of Neuchâtel) and Humanities of Sport (De Montfort University).
A YouTube live stream recording of the event is now available at this link - https://youtube.com/live/R8T9qpN3uzQ
The full list of groups and Final Projects presented this year is as follows;
Group 1
‘Built for the World Stage: Insights into the Developmental Profiles of the 21st century FIFA World Cup Quarterfinalists’ by Ian AGOSTINI (Brazil & Portugal), Rita EL IDRISSI SEMLALI (Morocco & USA), Robert LOKAU (Switzerland), Ashley PINEDA SALGADO (USA & Mexico)
Group 2
‘More Than Marquee Signings: How Foreign-Player Recruitment and League Governance Intersect - A Case Study of MLS, SPL, CSL and the A-League’ by Amr ADEL (Egypt), Xavier CORDIER (Australia & France), Luca FUHRMANN (Germany), Zheng WANG (China)
Group 3
‘After the Flame: What Happens to Individual Summer Para Sports Between Paralympic Games’ by Léonie DOLÉAC (France), Bianca FAES BELGRADO (Italy), Eliú RODRIGUEZ OCHOA (Mexico & USA), DanieL THEVENDERAN (Malaysia)
Group 4
‘From the Pitch to the Next Chapter: A Comparative Study of Women Footballers’ Preparation Strategies for a Successful Post-Career Transition in England, Spain, Papua New Guinea, and Liberia’ by Nathaniel Lepani (Papua New Guinea & USA), Martin MARECHAL (France), K. Jlayteh SAYOR (Liberia)
Group 5
‘Women Leading, Women Succeeding: The Correlation Between Representation and Football Development’ by Zackary GILMORE (Canada), Ho Yan (Kenny) LAM (Hong Kong, China), Antonia LANDGRAF (Germany), Lalaina Auriel NY ANDRIANTSOA (Madagascar)
Group 6
‘Launched from the Top, Judged from Below: A Cross-Continental Study of Fan Perceptions of the FIFA Club World Cup’ by Guillermo Alvez (Uruguay), Abdel Malik Koudizé (Niger), Alessandro Padula (Italy), Tomoyuki Tamura (Japan)
Group 7
‘Watching Football Online: The Impact of OTT Platforms on Fan Engagement and Viewing Behaviour’ by Omar Yasser Ahmed (Egypt), Paolo Dal Pozzo (Italy), Alwin Komolong (Papua New Guinea & Germany), Yuto Kurosu (Japan).
FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, ranked Europe's No.1 course a record 13 times by SportBusiness.
Organised by CIES in cooperation with De Montfort University (UK), SDA Bocconi School of Management (Italy) and the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland).
"CIES, 30+ years of impacting how sport is managed worldwide" & "FIFA Master, 25+ years of Excellence in Sport Business Education"
