First ‘CIES-UNA Gatering’ held: a mix of discussions and an introduction to Mexican sport and culture
The first ever “CIES-UNA Gathering” – organised by the alumni association of the FIFA/CIES International Programme in Sport Management – was a great success. It took place between 29th – 30th June in Mexico City as part of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. More than seventy alumni from nineteen of the twenty-two universities in the FIFA/CIES International University Network took part in this two-day event. The event programme included attending a lucha libre (Mexican wrestling) show, setting objectives and discussing the association’s future, listening to prestigious speakers at a conference dedicated to Mexican sport, enjoying performances showcasing Mexican culture and history, and finally cheering on the match between Mexico and Ecuador at the legendary Azteca Stadium.
Having travelled from all over the world, the members of CIES-UNA, along with former FIFA Master students (FMA), who were also holding a working meeting in Mexico City, immediately immersed themselves in Mexican culture – in its most fascinating form – by discovering lucha libre. This sport combines athletic feats, acrobatics, theatrical elements, masks and costumes, and universal themes such as the struggle between good and evil. Needless to say, the participants left the show with stars in their eyes.
The following morning was more devoted to work, with the first CIES-UNA General Assembly opened by Pierre Cornu, CIES President, alongside Nasr El Din Azzam and Judith Jiménez, CIES-UNA President and Vice-President respectively. Here, the participants looked back over the history of the FIFA/CIES International University Network, which dates back to 2004, discussed the association’s objectives and outlined its medium-term future. During the meeting, CIES presented the 2025 and 2026 FIFA/CIES International University Network Awards – designed to recognise the best final-year projects submitted by partner universities – to the two winning teams, both of which represented Kozminski University in Warsaw, Poland. Congratulations to Halina Danielak, Jakub Godlewski, Katarzyna Łopuszyńska, Stanisław Miliński, Katarzyna Ogórek, Marek Konieczny and Wojciech Nowak, accompanied by Pawel de Pourbaix, who supervised the winning projects, and Karol Tatar, CIES coordinator in Poland.
In the afternoon, members of CIES-UNA and the FMA attended the conference entitled ‘A Journey to the Heart of Mexican Sport’. In doing so, the organisers sought to pay tribute to the extraordinary sporting heritage of their host country. Lyudmyla Herasymenko and Natalia Salazar, former students of the FIFA/CIES International Programme in Argentina, skillfully guided the audience through this three-hour journey alongside a series of captivating speakers. Rommel Pacheco, President of the National Commission for Physical Culture and Sport, and Ivar Sisniega, President of the Mexican Football Federation, captivated the audience by giving them a behind-the-scenes look at Mexican sport and football. For their part, Salvador Lutteroth, President of the World Council of Lucha Libre, and Mauricio Sulaimán, President of the World Boxing Council (WBC), spoke enthusiastically about their sports and shared numerous anecdotes – as entertaining as they were enlightening – about their history and various cultural aspects. The speakers also answered questions from the audience during two panel discussions moderated by Michael Boys, CIES coordinator in Chile, and Gerry Saldívar, a former FIFA Master student (5th edition).
At the official dinner, which celebrated Mexican cuisine, participants enjoyed the lively tunes of a mariachi band, before marveling at a show dedicated to Aztec dances and rituals.
The following day, twenty-five early risers had the chance to play a few matches in a cosmopolitan and friendly atmosphere.
Finally, everyone who had made the trip to Mexico shared in the excitement of the 80,000 people gathered at the Azteca Stadium for the World Cup match between Mexico and Ecuador.
We would like to extend our warmest thanks to everyone who took part in these two days of work, networking, entertainment, discovery and sport. Also, a special thank you goes to the four speakers who, through their knowledge, experience and enthusiasm, enabled everyone to make the most of this journey into the heart of Mexico and its sporting culture.
