General Counsel

We are now looking for a FIFA26, Inc. General Counsel - USA that is part of FIFA and supports us on our mission.

The General Counsel (GC) role at FIFA26, Inc., the FIFA US subsidiary for the delivery of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, is a high profile and demanding role overseeing and leading the legal function of the tournament across all three Host Countries, together with direct responsibility for the provision of legal advice and services in the USA.

The GC will provide tournament-related legal services to management, operational and functional areas, while managing the day-to-day legal operations within the US and overseeing the operations of FIFA lawyers located in Canada and Mexico. The General Counsel will work collaboratively with the FIFA Legal & Compliance division, including the FIFA Deputy Chief Legal & Compliance Officer. The GC will be responsible for managing all corporate and governance matters, including legal, regulatory, and FIFA institutional requirements and best practices within the host countries.

The General Counsel will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of FIFA26, Inc to manage the day-to-day legal operations of the subsidiaries in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. This will include direct management of and responsibility for the Director of Legal in Canada and the Senior Legal Counsel in Mexico, and the USA-based legal team

These are your key tasks:

Provide a wide range of tournament-related legal services to management, operational and functional areas within FIFA26, Inc.

Provide support to the COO in the planning and delivery of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, anticipating challenges and advising on solutions.

Work collaboratively with FIFA's Legal & Compliance division, including but not limited to ensuring alignment with FIFA's overall institutional framework and policies.

Responsible for Compliance matters and overseeing the Compliance function across FIFA26.

Work with FIFA's Intellectual Property team on Brand Protection matters.

Work with Commercial Operations and Host Cities on Host City Rights contractual matters.

Work with counterparts at FIFA subsidiaries in Canada and Mexico and support functional areas cross border.

Ensure legal compliance with federal and U.S. state laws and regulations and municipal by-laws.

Deliver high quality legal services in a timely manner and to international best practices and standards.

Prepare and maintain necessary standards, policies, and processes.

Maintain the business and corporate affairs of the subsidiary including making all necessary regulatory filings.

Ensure accurate and appropriate maintenance of legal records and documentation.

Perform applicable legal risk assessments and proactively develop risk mitigation plans, as required.

Oversee specialized external counsel to deliver value-added legal support, including ensuring quality of advice and budget management of legal spend.

Perform other duties, directly related to or relevant to the job, as assigned by the COO or the FIFA Deputy Chief Legal & Compliance Officer.

Lead and mentor all lawyers within the FIFA26 legal team with a view to working as a team to deliver legal services, in collaboration with the FIFA Deputy Chief Legal Officer.

Assist the COO in managing the legal budget with a view to working in a fiscally responsible manner.

Recruit a high-quality and capable legal team to cover areas including commercial, event legal, brand protection and compliance.

Perform other duties, directly related to or relevant to the job, as assigned by the COO or the FIFA Deputy Chief Legal & Compliance Officer.

These tasks are a good start. Time will change. Take it and shape it.

We work hard at FIFA.

We are dedicated, ambitious and innovative.

And we respect our values. Always.

For all roles, we seek talented people with an entrepreneurial spirit and a global mindset.

The specific competencies we require for this position are:

Bachelor's degree from an accredited university and a post graduate degree in U.S. law (Juris Doctor) from a U.S. law school

Enrolled in a State Bar Association in at least 1 U.S. State (Preferably Florida, New York, California, and/or Texas). Postgraduate studies in IP, contracts and/or commercial law is a plus

12+ years' post qualification experience including private practice and in-house experience

Major event/ sport law experience with an understanding of operations and functional areas

International experience or experience working in organizations with international offices/ staff

Mid-level management experience

Fluent in English

Proficiency in Spanish is an asset

Advanced skills in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio & Project) and planning software and online collaboration tools

Excellent written and verbal communication skills in the English language

Strong legal, analytical, and planning/ organizational skills

Keenly observant and innovative and strong problem-solving abilities

High attention to detail, accuracy, and follow-through

A cooperative team player willing to contribute to the accomplishment of shared objectives and work on tight timelines

A positive attitude, patience, and persistence

Inclusive stakeholder management skills

A forward-thinking and innovative legal leader, who will drive the recruitment, retention, and motivation of a high-performing team

We are FIFA, the global governing body for football.

Our vision is to make football truly global, diverse and inclusive, for the benefit of the entire world. The last FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 attracted more then 5 billion viewers and the last FIFA Women's World Cup in France in 2019 one billion viewers. The opportunities for growth are exciting.

We are a modern organisation with over 850 passionate employees who are Living Football every day. Our headquarters are based in Zurich, Switzerland, and we have an office in the USA and Paris, plus eleven regional offices from New Zealand to India, Congo, Panama and Paraguay.

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