Meet the woman from Zacatecas who organizes FIFA world championships

“It’s always been my dream. What’s really great is being able to work where I’ve always wanted to be and do what I love most,” said Reyna to CONECTA from Zurich, Switzerland.

Reyna Marely Flores, a graduate from the Zacatecas campus of Tecnológico de Monterrey, currently works at the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

FIFA is the institution that governs the world’s soccer federations, and Reyna is on the team in charge of organizing the world championships.

But how did she get to work at FIFA? 

Reyna Flores started her career at the Zacatecas campus of Tec de Monterrey in 2001, studying a degree in Marketing with a diploma in International Business.

During her time at the Tec, she was on the women’s soccer team and was even team captain for her final two years at the institution.

The Tec graduate confessed that she’d wanted to be on a team since primary school, but she couldn’t because her teachers told her that “women can’t play soccer”.
 

As well as playing on the soccer team, Reyna Marely has taken piano lessons since 1989. In 2004, she became the state coordinator of the Zacatecas Musical Symposium.

“Reyna’s an extraordinary person with a great passion for what she does. What’s really great is that she’s decided to pursue her dreams,” said Nancy Álvarez, principal of Tec Zacatecas Junior High.

After graduating in 2005, the graduate worked as coordinator of the Student Affairs Office at Zacatecas campus, putting on a musical for the first time in 2007.

One year later, she decided to study a master’s in Advanced Sports and Technology Management Studies in Switzerland.

“Rather than organizing concerts and recitals, I decided that I wanted to organize world soccer championships,” said Reyna.

She returned to Mexico after completing her course. However, she was then given the opportunity to join the International Boxing Association (AIBA) and returned to Switzerland in 2010.

“Rather than organizing concerts and recitals, I decided that I wanted to organize world football championships.”

 

She worked there for three years, taking part in projects such as the London 2012 Olympic Games and pre-Olympic training camps.

Reyna left that job to “work for free” on the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica, where she was in charge of marketing and running matches, she recalled.

She then applied for a vacancy at the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), where she was responsible for managing and organizing matches in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

“What I like most is doing projects in different countries and interacting with people from different cultures,” said Reyna to CONECTA.

She was even match director at events like the final of the 2016 UEFA Women’s Champions League in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

In August 2016, she started working for FIFA, where she’s in in charge of planning and strategy for the organization of world championships.

“You need to put in 100% of your effort, from choosing the color of the uniforms to where the matches will be held, because there are another 500 people who dream of getting your job,” said the Tec graduate.

Reyna confessed that her career hasn’t all been plain sailing. As a woman and a Mexican, she’s had to deal with a lot of obstacles, such as her opinions being ignored.

Despite this, she says that everyone in her field recognizes she’s earned her stripes and “can do the job as well as anyone,” she said.

At FIFA, Reyna’s most important project has been organizing the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. “I worked hard on that for three years,” she said.

“When the fans come through the gates and you see how all your work was worth it, that’s a feeling you can’t put into words... You just jump for joy.”

 

The Tec graduate said that even though it had been a hard journey, she’s managed to get where she is now thanks to having learned several languages and how to be disciplined.

“Find something you like and remember that nothing’s impossible. It’s going to take time, effort, and energy, but if you work at it, you’ll get there sooner or later,” concluded Reyna in her interview with CONECTA.

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