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(Photo credit: Miami-DadeCollege)
Miami Dade College will house the first FIFA exhibition in the U.S. as part of an unprecedented collaboration that will highlight the world’s most popular sport – football, or soccer to American audiences – and provide learning opportunities for the college’s students.
“As democracy’s college, MDC is the place where everyone comes for an opportunity,” said MDC president Madeline Pumariega, who was joined by FIFA president Gianni Infantino for the recent announcement at Miami Dade College. “This collaboration is creating hope and opportunity for our students and everyone in our community.”
The exhibition will be housed inside MDC’s National Historic Landmark Freedom Tower, currently undergoing a major renovation in advance of its centennial anniversary and re-opening in 2025. FIFA, which is the governing body of international football, will loan important items from its museum in Zurich. Infantino said the exhibit will put a spotlight on the history and growth of soccer across the Americas and showcase important FIFA events that have taken place in Miami over the decades.
“Miami is a special city,” Infantino told a crowd of MDC and community leaders. “Miami is vibrant. Miami is young. Miami is definitely the capital of the world of fútbol.”
Infantino added, “Democracy’s College: You said it. A vibrant college, open to everyone in the world with a fantastic and unique president.”
The announcement comes as Miami gears up for the 2026 World Cup, hosting seven matches including the Bronze Final Match. It also comes at an ideal time for MDC. Last year, Pumariega announced that MDC would bring back the men’s soccer team after a 30-year hiatus and would create a women’s team for the first time. The college selected Giuseppe DePalo as head coach of the men’s team and MDC alumnus Ramiro Vengoechea as head coach of the women’s team. Teófilo Cubillas, a FIFA legend from Peru who played in the 1970s, said he was looking forward to seeing the new relationship flourish.
“It is not a small thing that FIFA chose MDC for this collaboration,” he said at the announcement event. “I am very happy to see this happening in Miami.”
In addition to the FIFA exhibition, the collaboration also will create an internship program for MDC students at FIFA’s new headquarters in Miami, allowing them opportunity to spend the summer gaining substantive hands-on experience and forging connections that will last throughout their careers. They also will hear from FIFA and global soccer professionals as part of a new guest speaker series.
Miami’s love affair with football – or fútbol – has blossomed with global superstar Lionel Messi’s move to play in MLS for Inter Miami. Local residents hail from every corner of the world but especially from Latin America, where fútbol reigns king.
“We have the most vibrant and diverse community anywhere in the world,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “There is no better institution to represent our diversity and dynamism than this incredible community Miami Dade College.”
“Today is an iconic day, in an iconic city, represented by an iconic team and an iconic player,” said Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez. “And we are going to be celebrating … an iconic event.”
FIFA 2026 World Cup matches will take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Hard Rock Stadium was built to FIFA specifications, and has hosted several high-profile matches, including the highest-grossing soccer match in North American history, El Clásico between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, in 2017.
After the news conference, student athlete Alejandro Cumplido – who is from Colombia but came to Miami just to play soccer at MDC – said getting to play on the college’s team plus meeting Infantino at the event was a dream come true.
“For me this is an incredible opportunity,” he said. “There is nothing better than this.”
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