From Otago FIFA thesis to California FIFA job

The prospect of keeping a crowd of 70,000 excitable humans flowing safely during a much-hyped global tournament would bring out the sweat beads on most foreheads.

But not for Otago alumnus Antony Noyes – he thrills to the idea. Which is just as well, for he’s been right in the thick of those heaving 2026 FIFA World Cup crowds – as Access Management Venue Coordinator at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, USA.

“I love making real-time operational decisions and genuinely enjoy working at high pace across multiple priorities. It’s a high-stakes environment, but that brings out the best in me,” he says.

“I lead training for security, volunteers, and FIFA staff. I also assisted with the setup of security checkpoint modelling, functional simulation flows, and analysing VVIP and VIP arrival patterns. My role is to ensure safe and efficient ingress, circulation, and egress for 70,000 people.”

When asked how he unwinds after a day of herding so many footy-fervent fans, Antony’s answer says much about his rightness for the job.

“I unwind by doing it all over again. There’s no place I’d rather be.”

Though Antony’s CV bears a long list of previous sports roles, his FIFA-wards swerve is due to his stint as an international student at the University of Otago.

With a Bachelor in Recreation Administration – Sustainable Tourism from San Diego State University under his belt, Antony had been casting around for somewhere beyond his home shores to continue his sustainable tourism trajectory.

“I researched the best tourism schools in the world and spotted Otago. Having visited the North Island of New Zealand when I was 15, I’d always wanted to see the South Island.”

While enrolled for a Master of Tourism at Otago, Antony was offered free tickets to some of the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup games hosted in Dunedin. It was the hidden subtext behind this generosity that spurred his thesis topic.

“I was blown away by the skill and national pride on display, and I realised that giving away free tickets was a deeper infrastructural and operational decision. Leadership bet that if they could get eyes on women's football, they could change a people, a narrative, a country. It raised so many questions about women's sport.”

Antony’s research identified how FIFA’s 2023 Women’s World Cup vision and legacy have manifested in New Zealand, specifically with regard to women’s empowerment.

“I looked at women’s sports legacy impacts – such as combating gender inequality, empowering women and girls, and leveraging post-event grassroots football.”

As gripped as he currently is by FIFA fever, Antony’s sports appetite is exceedingly broad. For him, sport’s appeal is as much to do with the diverse global audience it brings together as it is about the spectacle itself.

“Sport is my favourite lens to engage with people, experience communities, and connect to my multicultural background and heritage.

“I’m Mexican, Cabo Verdean, Japanese, American, and Filipino. I was adopted into a Swedish family and raised in San Francisco (which is a true melting pot) so I've always lived between cultures – and sport has been the thread connecting them all.”

Antony indulged that deep cultural curiosity during his time in Aotearoa. He can’t say enough about the welcoming atmosphere he encountered as an international student at Otago.

“The University staff who set up the international community deserve a round of applause.

“Together, our group celebrated Norway Day with visiting Norwegians, hiked Earnslaw Burn, made traditional Chinese dumplings, marked Diwali with new Indian friends, and I made Thanksgiving dinner for those who’d never had one.”

After finishing his postgraduate studies, Antony left New Zealand with more than new friends and a Master of Tourism.

“I returned home with a global perspective and a hands-on mindset and pursued a Master of Science in Sport Management at the University of San Francisco.”

Asked if the FIFA experience in Ōtepoti helped set his career compass, Antony says, “absolutely – 100%”.

As for his post-FIFA career horizon, Antony has a particular role in mind – Director of International Baseball Development. He’d love to grow the game in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. This would give him the perfect excuse to return to our shores.

“I so miss a pie – even the gas station ones on New Zealand road trips were great. I also loved the incorporation of te reo Māori, and all the bird sounds.”

For a man so at home in a frenetic and crowded stadium, Antony’s most ringing endorsement of Aotearoa might surprise.

“Kiwis have a work-life balance which is a world away from the US. And the backyard is world-class – truly alien and untouched. I miss it.”

- Kōrero by Claire Finlayson, Communications Adviser (Otago Business School)