Photo Courtesy Of FIFA World Cup
While Alina Hudak cannot “bend it like Beckham,” she sure knows how to captain a team. In December 2024, she took over as president and chief executive officer of the Miami FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Committee after her predecessor stepped down. She has big cleats to fill, but Hudak is confident she’s the right person for the job.
As the former county manager and deputy mayor of Miami-Dade County and city manager of Miami Beach — and with dual degrees in finance and public administration from the University of Miami — she has many trick shots up her sleeve. Like sports, she finds her role to be unifying, bringing people together with one goal in mind — to make the Miami portion of the World Cup uniquely Miami.
“I’m very proud to have a 40-year history of working in public service in a leadership capacity. It’s been my whole life,” the 65-year-old says. “Soccer is a global unifying force that brings together so many fans to experience the pride in their country, so I am very proud to lead such a legacy moment for our community.”
Miami is one of 16 cities throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico that will host tournament matches from June to July 2026. With the help of a board of directors and small staff, Hudak is planning a super-sized fan festival, so even people who don’t score tickets to a match can enjoy the World Cup experience in paradise.
Though Hudak’s daughters are now 26 and 28, she still remembers her days as a dedicated soccer mom.Along with her husband, Coral Gables Police Chief Ed Hudak, the entire family are huge sports fans, especially of the Miami Hurricanes football team. “When I accepted the position, my daughter said in a very funny way, ‘We’re not just a football family anymore, we are a fútbol family,’” Hudak shares.
Beyond sports, Hudak is also passionate about giving back to the community that shaped her. In December, she was the commencement speaker at the University of Miami School of Law graduation ceremony, a moment she calls one of the greatest honors of her life. “I couldn’t believe I was this refugee kid that grew up never dreaming that I could attend the University of Miami and there I was in all my regalia doing the commencement speech,” she says.