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Amy Hopfinger
Vice President of Events, U.S. Soccer Federation
Born: St. Louis
Education: St. Louis University, B.A., psychology
Amy Hopfinger had no plans to pursue a career in sports out of college, but her parents insisted she accrue more work experience before heading to graduate school, a directive that resulted in her landing an internship with U.S. Soccer.
“I started in the summer when we were hosting the World Cup in 2003, so I was basically thrown right into it and fell in love,” said Hopfinger, who began as an assistant on U.S. Soccer’s events team. She now runs the department with oversight of event ticketing and operations. In the intervening years, she’s organized ticker tape parades, managed the SheBelieves Cup and traveled to Europe to coordinate World Cup bid delegations, just to scratch the surface.
“I’ve worked on two World Cup bids, one of them successful,” Hopfinger said. “I’ve been to seven World Cups between the men’s and women’s sides. I ended up overseeing operations for the Copa America Centenario.” That 2016 tournament was organized in just six months yet wound up generating $190 million in revenue and pulling in the second-biggest crowd in American soccer history.
Hopfinger is now also a special adviser to FIFA in its host city selection process for the 2026 World Cup, which promises to carry American soccer to ever greater heights. “The next three or four years will be like something the sport in this country has never seen,” Hopfinger said. “The future of the sport is brighter than it’s ever been, and brighter than it’s probably ever going to be. So I can’t wait to be a part of it.” — Chris Smith
More about Amy
Guilty pleasure: Brunch! I love a nice, long brunch with friends or family on the weekend.
Attributes I look for when hiring: Both a team player and a team pusher. Great teammates can play both roles.
My leadership style is inspired by… My dad. I watched him build a career and company with an amazing work ethic, generosity and family first mentality.
Best advice I’ve received for career development: Step in/jump in and lead in times of difficulty or uncertainty. There is opportunity to make a real difference in those moments.
The sports industry will look back on the past year as: One of resiliency and adaptability. We have all been forced to embrace uncertainty and change. From the moment things shut down in March of 2020 through now, as an industry, we have had to adapt over and over again, sometimes multiple times a day!
