On Thursday, December 4, at 9:00 a.m. ET, the Atlantic Council will host a series of conversations exploring the various opportunities and challenges that sports diplomacy presents.
The United States is entering a decade in which it will host a series of major sporting events, beginning with the 2026 FIFA World Cup (co-hosted by Canada and Mexico). The events present a historic opportunity for the United States to harness sports as an instrument of power—advancing diplomacy, business, development, and international partnerships.
This event will include conversations, hosted by the Africa Center, with nations that have previously hosted major sporting events and also with international sports leaders, policymakers, and private-sector executives on how sports can serve as a driver of business, development, collaboration, influence, and diplomacy. It will also include a discussion, hosted by the Adrienne Arsht National Security Resilience Initiative, with private-sector thinkers on national-security and resilience-related questions, threats, and opportunities ahead of and during the World Cup.
New policy: In-person attendees will be required to show photo ID upon arrival, and no on-site registration will be permitted. Registration for this event will close at 5:00 p.m. ET the day prior.
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Speakers
Moderated by
Agenda
9:00–9:05 a.m. ET | Welcoming remarks
Featuring
Frederick Kempe
President and CEO
Atlantic Council
9:05–9:15 a.m. ET | Keynote by FIFA’s Victor Montagliani
Featuring
Victor Montagliani
President, Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf); Vice President, FIFA
9:15–10:00 a.m. ET | Ambassadors from future hosting nations discuss the opportunities that sporting events bring
Featuring
H.E. Youssef Amrani
Ambassador to the United States
Kingdom of Morocco
HRH Amb. Reema Bandar Al-Saud
Ambassador to the United States
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Moderated by
George Atallah
Founder and CEO
SOMEBODY
10:00–11:00 a.m. ET | The FIFA World Cup and national security resilience: Private sector perspectives
Introductory remarks
Matthew Kroenig
Vice President and Senior Director, Scowcroft Center for Strategy & Security
Atlantic Council
Opening remarks
Adrienne Arsht
Executive Vice Chair
Atlantic Council
Speakers
G.B. Jones
Chief Safety and Security Officer
FIFA World Cup 2026
Jeff Stonebreaker
Senior Vice President, Safety and Security
Major League Soccer
Samantha Vinograd
Nonresident Senior Fellow
Adrienne Arsht National Security Resilience Initiative
Atlantic Council;
Former Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism and Threat Prevention
US Department of Homeland Security
Moderated by
Julia Ainsley
Senior Homeland Security Correspondent
NBC News
11:00–11:10 a.m. ET | Keynote by Mayor Quinton Lucas
Featuring
Quinton Lucas
Mayor
Kansas City
11:10–11:45 a.m. ET | Sports for development: The transformative power of the field
Speakers
Deneyse A. Kirkpatrick
President & CEO, Texas International Education Consortium; Senior Fellow, Africa Center, Atlantic Council
Todd Smith
President & CEO
Sports & Fitness Industry Association
Jason M. Levien
Co-Chairman & CEO
D.C. United
Moderated by
Travis Murphy
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Jetr Global Sports + Entertainment
11:45 a.m.–12:05 p.m. ET | Fireside chat with the White House’s Andrew Giuliani
Featuring
Andrew Giuliani
Executive Director
White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026
Moderated by
Rama Yade
Senior Director, Africa Center & Senior Fellow, Europe Center
Atlantic Council
12:05–12:15 p.m. ET | Closing keynote by US Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove
Featuring
Sydney Kamlager-Dove
United States Representative (D-CA-37)
Ranking Member, House Foreign Affairs South and Central Asia Subcommittee
12:15–12:25 p.m. ET | Closing remarks by MLS Commissioner Don Garber
Featuring
Don Garber
Commissioner
Major League Soccer
Explore the programs
The Adrienne Arsht National Security Resilience Initiative, in the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, works to advance resilience as a core tenet of US and allied national security policy and practice.
The Africa Center works to promote dynamic geopolitical partnerships with African states and to redirect US and European policy priorities toward strengthening security and bolstering economic growth and prosperity on the continent.
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