Voices that shape the Future of Football
World Football Summit brings together the most influential figures across the global football ecosystem—visionary leaders, bold innovators, and changemakers who are redefining how the game is played, governed, and experienced.
Top voices at World Football Summit
Top voices at
World Football Summit
Adwa
Al Arifi
Assistant Minister for Sport Affairs
Adwa
Al Arifi
For more than 15 years, Adwa has led dozens of initiatives to help drive and develop the sport sector as well as playing a key role in mass participation across the Kingdom. Her early work included helping to establish the Kingdom’s first women’s football team in 2007 and founding the Riyadh Women’s Football League in 2008. Her continued to support the growth of football becoming the first ever female board member of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation in 2019.
Hammad
Albalawi
Head of the Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup™ 2034 bid unit at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation – Saudi Arabian Football Federation
Hammad
Albalawi
Hammad Albalawi leads Saudi Arabia’s FIFA World Cup 2034 bid, aiming to host the first 48-team tournament in a single nation under the slogan “Growing. Together.” Previously, he was Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic Planning & Investment at the Ministry of Sport, overseeing the National Sports and Football Strategies. He also led the privatization of state-owned sports assets, boosting investment appeal and managing IP projects like the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Lisa
Baird
Commissioner- NWSL.
Lisa
Baird
“Lisa Baird was named commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League in February 2020. Most recently, she served as the chief marketing officer for New York Public Radio, a position she had held since 2018. Prior to her time with WNYC, Baird spent nearly a decade as the chief marketing officer of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. From 2005-2007, Baird served as senior vice president of marketing and consumer products for the National Football League.”
Giorgio
Chiellini
Head of Football Institutional Relations – Juventus Football Club
Giorgio
Chiellini
I’m a professional former football player, transitioning now in the management position. Part of Common Goal and other social initiatives.
Didier
Drogba
Founder Didier Drogba Foundation
Didier
Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian retired professional footballer who played as a striker. He is the all-time top scorer and former captain of the Ivory Coast national team.
Al
Guido
President – Elevate Ventures
Al
Guido
President of the San Francisco 49ers on February 15, 2016. Guido oversees all key business initiatives for the team. Guido also concurrently serves as the Chairman and CEO of Elevate Sports Ventures, which – launched in 2018 – works to bring comprehensive business solutions to the sports and entertainment industry that identify new revenue opportunities and bring new, innovative ideas to market.
Gianni
Infantino
President – FIFA
Gianni
Infantino
Before being elected FIFA President, Gianni Infantino was the UEFA General Secretary since October 2009, having joined the organisation in 2000. He led a team of over 400 staff which has helped further strengthen both national team and club football in Europe and UEFA’s role as a respected and credible international governing body.
Dato’ Windsor
John
General Secretary – AFC
Dato’ Windsor
John
Widely recognised as an outstanding football administrator, Datuk Seri Windsor John has been the driving force behind the AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa’s all-encompassing vision to propel Asian football to greater heights.
Tim
Leiweke
Co-Founder and CEO-Oak View Group
Tim
Leiweke
Tim Leiweke is a leader and veteran in the sports and entertainment industry with more than 35 years experience spanning multiple teams, leagues, and facility developments around the world. No one else has been recognized on both the Billboard Top 100 People in the Music Business and the Most Influential Sports Executives by the Sports Business Journal in the same year.
Fouzi
Lekjaa
President – Moroccan Football Federation (FMRF)
Fouzi
Lekjaa
Fouzi Lekjaa has been at the helm of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) since 2014, spearheading a transformative era for Moroccan football. A key figure in global football governance, he serves as a FIFA Council member and 2nd Vice President of CAF, where he chairs the Finance Commission. Under his leadership, Morocco has made historic strides, including the men’s national team’s groundbreaking semi-final run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and a tenfold increase in investment in women’s football.
Mauricio
Macri
President of the FIFA Foundation – FIFA
Mauricio
Macri
Mauricio Macri, former President of Argentina from 2015 to 2019, who also served two terms as Mayor of Buenos Aires and President of Boca Juniors Club on three occasions, is the Executive Chairman at the FIFA Foundation. In his current capacity, Macri is dedicated to leveraging the unifying power of football and the educational opportunities it presents to empower youth, foster positive change, and pave the way for a promising future on a global scale.
Charlie
Marshall
Managing Director- European Club Association- ECA
Charlie
Marshall
In his role as Managing Director of ECA, Charlie Marshall manages the daily operations of ECA and together with the leadership team works hand in hand with ECA’s members and key stakeholders on a wide range of strategic, commercial and political matters. He joined the organisation in November 2018 with a background of high-level international executive experience at the intersection of sports, media and technology.
Juan
Mata
Football Legend & Co-Founder at Common Goal
Juan
Mata
Juan Mata, an adidas athlete, co-founded Common Goal in 2017 with a call for other professionals to join him in forming a Common Goal XI – since then the movement has grown year after year to now include well over 100 members. Juan has achieved considerable success in his illustrious career and played for some of the world’s biggest clubs. He has won the World Cup and two European Championships on the international stage and the Champions League at the club level.
Víctor
Montigliani
President of CONCACAF & Vice President of the FIFA Council.
Víctor
Montigliani
Victor Montagliani is a Canadian businessman who is the current president of CONCACAF. He is also a vice president of the FIFA Council. He is a former player of Columbus F.C. In his professional career, he was a manager at Hogan & Cox Insurance Adjusters in Maple Ridge before being transferred to Vancouver in 2003. He was the president of the British Columbia Soccer Association in 2005. He was voted in as president of the Canadian Soccer Association in May 2012.
Peter
Moore
Owner – Santa Barbara Sky Football club
Peter
Moore
Currently the Owner of Santa Barbara Sky Football Club, Peter Moore brings his vast experience from many leadership roles in major sports and entertainment brands like Liverpool FC, EA Sports, etc to the local football scene. His passion now lies in building a successful and community-focused club.
H.E
Mr. Bader
Vice Minister of Sport
H.E
Mr. Bader
His Excellency Mr. Bader bin Abdulrahman Alkadi holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the College of Business at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, specializing in Financial Management, and a master’s degree in Sports Management and Entertainment from ISDE University in Spain. He began his professional career 20 years ago at HSBC Bank in London, then returned to the Kingdom and transitioned to the trade and retail sector, where he worked for 10 years at Procter & Gamble.
Ronaldo
Nazário
Chairman – Real Valladolid C.F.
Ronaldo
Nazário
Ronaldo Nazário de Lima has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of Real Valladolid since 28th of September, 2018. In his sporting career, he won The World Football Championship with Brazil, in 1994 and 2002. He also was awarded three times with the FIFA World Player, and another two times with the Golden Ball.
Cindy
Parlow-Cone
President – US Soccer Federation
Cindy
Parlow-Cone
The first female President of U.S. Soccer, Cindy Parlow Cone was re-elected to a four-year term on March 5, 2022, and is currently one of only seven female Federation presidents across FIFA’s 211 member associations.
Heidi
Pellarano
Chief Commercial Officer – CONCACAF
Heidi
Pellarano
Responsible for leading the Commercial division. In this capacity, Pellerano is responsible for developing and managing strategic partnerships to maximize the commercial opportunities of the organization. She has direct oversight of the departments of Strategy, Business Development, Partnership Marketing, Digital and Emerging Technologies, Media Distribution, and Broadcast Productions. She is also a member of the executive leadership of the Confederation.
Khalida
Popal
Founder & Director – Girl Power Organisation
Khalida
Popal
Khalida Popal – Football Pioneer, Activist & Author
Khalida Popal is an award-winning Afghan football pioneer, activist, and founder of Girl Power Organisation. She has dedicated her career to promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls through sports. As the former captain and co-founder of the Afghanistan Women’s National Team, she became a leading voice for Afghan women’s rights in football.
Ralf
Reichert
Co-CEO – ESL Gaming.
Ralf
Reichert
Ralf has grown up loving to compete. In video games, football or any other sport. While still going to university he joined forces with his brothers and friends and founded the now world-renowned clan, SK Gaming. Making a name of himself in the community he came across a group of young entrepreneurs from Cologne with whom he founded and grew ESL to the largest esports company in the world. Ralf’s belief that video games as the most exciting entertainment medium available today.
Sir Martin
Sorrell
Executive Chairman – S4 Capital
Sir Martin
Sorrell
«WPP-founder Sir Martin is a global leader in the marketing and communications industry and his talk will be one of the must-see events at this year’s summit.
Sir Martin turned WPP into the world’s largest advertising and marketing services company in a remarkable 33-year stint at the helm of the company before moving on to launch S4 Capital in 2018.
Javier
Tebas
President – LALIGA
Javier
Tebas
Javier Tebas Medrano, born in Costa Rica in 1962, is a Spanish lawyer specializing in sports and bankruptcy law. His football journey began in 1993 as president of SD Huesca. He later joined the boards of CD Badajoz and CD Toledo before becoming LaLiga vice-president in 2001. Elected LaLiga president in 2013, he was re-elected in 2016 and 2019. His leadership focuses on financial controls, audiovisual rights, and international growth, including the Boost LaLiga project with CVC Capital Partners.
Muhammad
Yunus
Peace Nobel Laureate 2006 & Chairman – Yunus Sports Hub
Muhammad
Yunus
Recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, Professor Muhammad Yunus is the founder of the first institution who offered microcredits, and the father of the social business movement – two concepts that have now been replicated in most of the countries around the world. Over the last 40 years, Muhammad Yunus has created a large network of experts, now present in over 150 countries, helping to solve social issues and improving the lives of millions of people through social business in all the major industries.
Adwa
Al Arifi
Assistant Minister for Sport Affairs
Adwa
Al Arifi
For more than 15 years, Adwa has led dozens of initiatives to help drive and develop the sport sector as well as playing a key role in mass participation across the Kingdom. Her early work included helping to establish the Kingdom’s first women’s football team in 2007 and founding the Riyadh Women’s Football League in 2008. Her continued to support the growth of football becoming the first ever female board member of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation in 2019.
Hammad
Albalawi
Head of the Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup™ 2034 bid unit at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation – Saudi Arabian Football Federation
Hammad
Albalawi
Hammad Albalawi leads Saudi Arabia’s FIFA World Cup 2034 bid, aiming to host the first 48-team tournament in a single nation under the slogan “Growing. Together.” Previously, he was Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic Planning & Investment at the Ministry of Sport, overseeing the National Sports and Football Strategies. He also led the privatization of state-owned sports assets, boosting investment appeal and managing IP projects like the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Lisa
Baird
Commissioner- NWSL.
Lisa
Baird
“Lisa Baird was named commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League in February 2020. Most recently, she served as the chief marketing officer for New York Public Radio, a position she had held since 2018. Prior to her time with WNYC, Baird spent nearly a decade as the chief marketing officer of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. From 2005-2007, Baird served as senior vice president of marketing and consumer products for the National Football League.”
Giorgio
Chiellini
Head of Football Institutional Relations – Juventus Football Club
Giorgio
Chiellini
I’m a professional former football player, transitioning now in the management position. Part of Common Goal and other social initiatives.
Didier
Drogba
Founder Didier Drogba Foundation
Didier
Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian retired professional footballer who played as a striker. He is the all-time top scorer and former captain of the Ivory Coast national team.
Al
Guido
President – Elevate Ventures
Al
Guido
President of the San Francisco 49ers on February 15, 2016. Guido oversees all key business initiatives for the team. Guido also concurrently serves as the Chairman and CEO of Elevate Sports Ventures, which – launched in 2018 – works to bring comprehensive business solutions to the sports and entertainment industry that identify new revenue opportunities and bring new, innovative ideas to market.
Gianni
Infantino
President – FIFA
Gianni
Infantino
Before being elected FIFA President, Gianni Infantino was the UEFA General Secretary since October 2009, having joined the organisation in 2000. He led a team of over 400 staff which has helped further strengthen both national team and club football in Europe and UEFA’s role as a respected and credible international governing body.
Dato’ Windsor
John
General Secretary – AFC
Dato’ Windsor
John
Widely recognised as an outstanding football administrator, Datuk Seri Windsor John has been the driving force behind the AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa’s all-encompassing vision to propel Asian football to greater heights.
Tim
Leiweke
Co-Founder and CEO-Oak View Group
Tim
Leiweke
Tim Leiweke is a leader and veteran in the sports and entertainment industry with more than 35 years experience spanning multiple teams, leagues, and facility developments around the world. No one else has been recognized on both the Billboard Top 100 People in the Music Business and the Most Influential Sports Executives by the Sports Business Journal in the same year.
Fouzi
Lekjaa
President – Moroccan Football Federation (FMRF)
Fouzi
Lekjaa
Fouzi Lekjaa has been at the helm of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) since 2014, spearheading a transformative era for Moroccan football. A key figure in global football governance, he serves as a FIFA Council member and 2nd Vice President of CAF, where he chairs the Finance Commission. Under his leadership, Morocco has made historic strides, including the men’s national team’s groundbreaking semi-final run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and a tenfold increase in investment in women’s football.
Mauricio
Macri
President of the FIFA Foundation – FIFA
Mauricio
Macri
Mauricio Macri, former President of Argentina from 2015 to 2019, who also served two terms as Mayor of Buenos Aires and President of Boca Juniors Club on three occasions, is the Executive Chairman at the FIFA Foundation. In his current capacity, Macri is dedicated to leveraging the unifying power of football and the educational opportunities it presents to empower youth, foster positive change, and pave the way for a promising future on a global scale.
Charlie
Marshall
Managing Director- European Club Association- ECA
Charlie
Marshall
In his role as Managing Director of ECA, Charlie Marshall manages the daily operations of ECA and together with the leadership team works hand in hand with ECA’s members and key stakeholders on a wide range of strategic, commercial and political matters. He joined the organisation in November 2018 with a background of high-level international executive experience at the intersection of sports, media and technology.
Juan
Mata
Football Legend & Co-Founder at Common Goal
Juan
Mata
Juan Mata, an adidas athlete, co-founded Common Goal in 2017 with a call for other professionals to join him in forming a Common Goal XI – since then the movement has grown year after year to now include well over 100 members. Juan has achieved considerable success in his illustrious career and played for some of the world’s biggest clubs. He has won the World Cup and two European Championships on the international stage and the Champions League at the club level.
Víctor
Montigliani
President of CONCACAF & Vice President of the FIFA Council.
Víctor
Montigliani
Victor Montagliani is a Canadian businessman who is the current president of CONCACAF. He is also a vice president of the FIFA Council. He is a former player of Columbus F.C. In his professional career, he was a manager at Hogan & Cox Insurance Adjusters in Maple Ridge before being transferred to Vancouver in 2003. He was the president of the British Columbia Soccer Association in 2005. He was voted in as president of the Canadian Soccer Association in May 2012.
Peter
Moore
Owner – Santa Barbara Sky Football club
Peter
Moore
Currently the Owner of Santa Barbara Sky Football Club, Peter Moore brings his vast experience from many leadership roles in major sports and entertainment brands like Liverpool FC, EA Sports, etc to the local football scene. His passion now lies in building a successful and community-focused club.
H.E
Mr. Bader
Vice Minister of Sport
H.E
Mr. Bader
His Excellency Mr. Bader bin Abdulrahman Alkadi holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the College of Business at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, specializing in Financial Management, and a master’s degree in Sports Management and Entertainment from ISDE University in Spain. He began his professional career 20 years ago at HSBC Bank in London, then returned to the Kingdom and transitioned to the trade and retail sector, where he worked for 10 years at Procter & Gamble.
Ronaldo
Nazário
Chairman – Real Valladolid C.F.
Ronaldo
Nazário
Ronaldo Nazário de Lima has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of Real Valladolid since 28th of September, 2018. In his sporting career, he won The World Football Championship with Brazil, in 1994 and 2002. He also was awarded three times with the FIFA World Player, and another two times with the Golden Ball.
Cindy
Parlow-Cone
President – US Soccer Federation
Cindy
Parlow-Cone
The first female President of U.S. Soccer, Cindy Parlow Cone was re-elected to a four-year term on March 5, 2022, and is currently one of only seven female Federation presidents across FIFA’s 211 member associations.
Heidi
Pellarano
Chief Commercial Officer – CONCACAF
Heidi
Pellarano
Responsible for leading the Commercial division. In this capacity, Pellerano is responsible for developing and managing strategic partnerships to maximize the commercial opportunities of the organization. She has direct oversight of the departments of Strategy, Business Development, Partnership Marketing, Digital and Emerging Technologies, Media Distribution, and Broadcast Productions. She is also a member of the executive leadership of the Confederation.
Khalida
Popal
Founder & Director – Girl Power Organisation
Khalida
Popal
Khalida Popal – Football Pioneer, Activist & Author
Khalida Popal is an award-winning Afghan football pioneer, activist, and founder of Girl Power Organisation. She has dedicated her career to promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls through sports. As the former captain and co-founder of the Afghanistan Women’s National Team, she became a leading voice for Afghan women’s rights in football.
Ralf
Reichert
Co-CEO – ESL Gaming.
Ralf
Reichert
Ralf has grown up loving to compete. In video games, football or any other sport. While still going to university he joined forces with his brothers and friends and founded the now world-renowned clan, SK Gaming. Making a name of himself in the community he came across a group of young entrepreneurs from Cologne with whom he founded and grew ESL to the largest esports company in the world. Ralf’s belief that video games as the most exciting entertainment medium available today.
Top football voices Leading the future of the game
Top football voices
Leading the future of the game
WFS Speakers On stage
