FIFA is responsible for organising the men's and women's futsal tournaments at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Behind the scenes, a dedicated FIFA team works closely with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the local organising committee to ensure the competitions run smoothly.

Leading FIFA's project for the Youth Olympic Futsal Tournaments Dakar 2026 is Olympic Tournaments Event Manager Kathy Morrison, who has been with FIFA since 2019 and brings extensive experience from major multi-sport events around the world.

What do you do?

I work in FIFA's Tournaments Division, where we oversee the planning and delivery of the Olympic tournaments. We work very closely with different departments within FIFA, the IOC and the local organising committees to make sure everything is in place for successful competitions.

A big part of my job is managing those relationships, identifying potential challenges and finding solutions. The Olympic Games are different from FIFA's own tournaments because many services are provided by the local organising committee. We need to understand what is available, identify any gaps and work together to ensure that our teams, officials and staff have what they need.

And we're always thinking years ahead! Alongside the Youth Olympic Futsal Tournaments here in Dakar, we're already preparing for the men's and women's Olympic Football Tournaments at Los Angeles 2028 and even Brisbane 2032. For Brisbane, we're already looking at potential stadiums, accommodation and training sites. People sometimes think 2032 is still a long way away, but in the Olympic world, preparations usually begin seven years in advance!

What does a typical day in your life at this tournament look like?

Every day is different, but I usually start by preparing for our daily coordination meeting with all the FIFA functional areas and a representative from Dakar 2026. We go through any outstanding issues from the previous day, discuss new challenges and agree on what needs to be addressed.

After that, much of my day is about following up and finding solutions. We work closely with colleagues responsible for competition operations, team services and workforce matters, making sure that everything from catering to access arrangements is working as it should.

I also spend time at the competition venues. Even though venue management is the responsibility of the local organising committee, what happens there directly affects our competitions. So I like to be hands-on, speak to the people on the ground and help resolve any issues together.

There is also a lot of coordination and reporting throughout the day. Sometimes we're dealing with things we anticipated, and sometimes something completely unexpected comes up. That's what makes the job so interesting!

What sort of challenges do you face?

One of the biggest challenges is that the Youth Olympic Games operate differently from a typical FIFA tournament. We're responsible for the futsal competitions, but many aspects of the wider event are managed by the local organising committee. That means we need to be flexible, communicate well and sometimes find compromises.

For example, during one match, we had a situation that highlighted the importance of access control around the playing area. After a dramatic last-minute goal by the host nation, the home crowd was understandably very excited, and celebrations briefly extended towards the pitch. The situation was brought under control within seconds, but we worked with the local organisers and the IOC afterwards to ensure that the right support was in place.

Access control is the responsibility of the local organising committee, but it's also our tournament, so we do everything we can to help make things work. And by working together, we find solutions! Having worked on both sides, for organising committees and now FIFA, I understand the different perspectives. That experience really helps when you're trying to find the best outcome for everyone.

What do you enjoy most about working for FIFA?

I love that my job combines two things I'm passionate about – football and the Olympic Games. I've worked in multi-sport events for many years, starting with the preparations for London 2012, so being able to bring those two worlds together at FIFA is something very special. For me, it's the best job in the world!

I also really enjoy travelling to different countries and working with people from so many cultures and backgrounds. What I find particularly rewarding is helping local organisers gain the experience, skills and knowledge to deliver major events themselves in the future.

I've seen people I worked with early in their careers go on to work at other major sporting events around the world. Seeing their development is incredibly satisfying, and I think it's one of the great legacies of bringing international sporting events to new places.

What's your most cherished FIFA moment?

The Olympic Football Tournaments at Paris 2024. It was the first time I had led an entire Olympic tournament project for FIFA, and that made it particularly special.

There were certainly challenges along the way, but what stood out for me was seeing everyone come together. We had colleagues from so many different FIFA departments, each with their own responsibilities, but everyone worked towards the same goal.

Seeing all those different areas operate as one team, supporting each other and delivering the tournaments together, was incredibly rewarding.