Game on: A Wildcat's road to the World Cup

When Ben Tenbrink showed up to work on Dec. 5, 2025, the day ahead of him was anything but ordinary.

His morning routine was the same, but his commute was a little different. On that winter day, he found himself driving through the streets of Washington, D.C., instead of his familiar Kansas City.

As he arrived at his "office" for the day — the Kennedy Center —he straightened his tie and entered a room full of legends.

From athletic superstars like Shaquille O'Neal, Tom Brady, Rio Ferdinand and Landon Donovan to world leaders and national team coaches, the room was buzzing with the energy of the day.

It was the World Cup Final Draw, and Kansas State University alumnus Ben Tenbrink '19, had a place at the table with icons from across the globe.

He walked away at the end of the day knowing his city would host the reigning world champions, Argentina, and one of the biggest names in the sport, Lionel Messi, during soccer's greatest contest.

While most fans can only imagine the amount of responsibility and work of hosting World Cup matches, top teams and players, Tenbrink knew exactly what was ahead of him.

As chief of staff for the 2026 FIFA World Cup KC, he'd already been preparing for 15 months by the final draw.

His path from student to helping lead one of the biggest sporting events in the world took only six years, and according to Tenbrink, his experiences at K-State paved the way for his professional future.

Classroom and campus opportunities directly connect to careers

K-State's College of Business Administration prepares graduates to be business leaders who make courageous decisions over the course of their careers through rigorous, relevant and engaging academic programs as well as many opportunities for learning and leadership development beyond the classroom. Tenbrink showcases just how far that intentional preparation from the college can take students.

He majored in finance and accounting, dedicating himself to mastering the content that connected to a future career.

"My coursework in finance and accounting gave me a strong analytical foundation and taught me the importance of preparation, discipline and attention to detail," he said.

 

Tenbrink also took advantage of opportunities to develop his leadership skills beyond coursework on campus. He served as an ambassador for the college, which he said helped him build confidence in representing an organization, communicating clearly and engaging with a wide range of stakeholders.

He took those skills to the global stage for the first time when he studied global economics and history at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, through K-State Education Abroad.

"Studying abroad expanded my perspective, pushed me outside of my comfort zone and reinforced the value of adaptability and cultural awareness, skills that are critical in global, fast-moving environments."

Tenbrink soon found himself putting his content mastery, leadership development and global skills into practice when he began his career at Deloitte Consulting after graduating from K-State.

In Deloitte's strategy and operations unit, he worked across a range of industries, including financial services, transportation, entertainment and large-scale global events. At Deloitte, Tenbrink demonstrated that his industry success stemmed directly from the career preparedness he developed at K-State.

Leadership lessons put into practice

As he learned during his time studying abroad through K-State, sometimes growth requires stepping outside of your comfort zone.

Tenbrink did just that after four years at Deloitte Construction, deciding to step away from his current role to pursue an opportunity to further develop his skills and advance his career.

He began the Master of Business Administration program at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and he focused his coursework on the sports and entertainment industry.

The program immersed him in the industry and gave him the opportunity to learn directly from leaders managing some of the world's most prominent sports, media and entertainment organizations.

"The decision to step away from my role at Deloitte and pursue an MBA at UCLA was a turning point in my career," Tenbrink said. "It meant leaving the only company I had worked for since graduating and intentionally pressing pause on a clear, comfortable path. I made that decision knowing I wanted to pivot directly into the sports industry, even though I had limited formal experience in the space at the time.

"That choice ultimately reshaped my career by opening doors to an industry I was passionate about and allowing me to build the right experiences and network to make that transition possible."

Changing plans led Tenbrink to chief of staff role

While pursuing his MBA at UCLA, Tenbrink continued his trajectory from K-State by getting involved in organizations that sparked his passion.

He joined the Kansas City World Cup Host Committee as a part-time partnerships consultant, a responsibility he fulfilled alongside his studies. In this role, he helped identify and secure corporate sponsorship opportunities for brands including Purina, Populous, Hallmark, JE Dunn, Black & Veatch and The University of Kansas Health System.

The strategic moves of pivoting to pursue an MBA and putting himself in a position to follow his passion opened the door for Tenbrink to return home to Kansas City to join the World Cup organization full time — this time in a high-level leadership role.

As chief of staff of FIFA World Cup 26 Kansas City, he spends his days working with other members of the leadership team on long-term planning while helping solve real-time challenges that come with preparing for an event of major magnitude.

On any given day, Tenbrink said, that might include aligning with partners and sponsors, reviewing budgets and financial models, coordinating across internal teams on timelines and deliverables, or preparing materials and recommendations for board and executive discussions.

He's often involved in planning major milestones and events, managing cross-functional priorities and stepping in to help unblock issues so teams can keep moving forward.

"It's a constant balance between thinking several months ahead and making sure the details are right today, all while keeping a large group of stakeholders aligned around a shared goal."

Playing the long game

When Tenbrink joined the team in KC, the countdown to the World Cup was at more than 500 days.

Now, with about 50 days to go until matches begin, he recognizes the constant role that time and urgency have played in his work — and how K-State played a major part in preparing him for this position.

"My finance curriculum wasn't just theory; it pushed me to think critically, make sound decisions under pressure, and use data and analytical tools in real-world scenarios," he said.

Critical thinking and decision-making under pressure are key components in Tenbrink's daily business. For his role, he must be decisive, adaptable and adept at bringing clarity to complex situations.

For example, when the opportunity for Kansas City to host four FIFA base camps came down to a late Friday night decision, Tenbrink — alongside CEO Pam Kramer and COO Lindsey Douglas — had to quickly evaluate whether the Host Committee had the financial resources, staffing capacity and operational infrastructure to support four teams simultaneously.

Under a tight deadline, they assessed the risks and commitments involved, ultimately making the call to FIFA headquarters to move forward with confidence.

He said the College of Business Administration's blend of quantitative rigor, decision-making frameworks and group-based projects taught him how to break down complex problems and communicate solutions clearly.

"I use those skills from K-State every day," Tenbrink said. "Whether I was presenting analyses, working collaboratively in case competitions or applying classroom concepts to applied projects, I walked away with the confidence to navigate ambiguity, lead teams and communicate effectively with diverse audiences, all of which are essential in fast-moving environments where outcomes matter."

More than a tournament

Just as K-State's land-grant mission is to expand access to education, Tenbrink said this World Cup is an opportunity to expand access to soccer.

"It's an opportunity to inspire the next generation of players, coaches and leaders by expanding access to the game, strengthening development pathways and investing in soccer at the youth and community levels," he said. "If we do this right, the impact will be felt long after the final match through increased participation, deeper engagement and a stronger domestic talent pipeline for our U.S. Soccer national team."

Tenbrink and his team also realize what this event means for Kansas City.

It is their goal to deliver experiences that are authentic, welcoming and deeply connected to the community. They want to show what their city is capable of.

"Most importantly, we want to leave a lasting legacy that extends beyond the tournament itself, using sport as a vehicle to elevate Kansas City's global profile, attract long-term economic opportunity and inspire confidence in the city's future. As the smallest host city, we have a chance to prove that impact isn’t defined by size, but by vision, execution and the ambition to think beyond the moment.”

From classroom to kickoff

Tenbrink said he hopes his journey encourages the next generation of Wildcats to rethink what's possible for their futures.

"The foundation you build through your studies can lead to opportunities you might never have imagined while you were in college," he said. "I certainly never expected to be working on a World Cup in my hometown, yet that path became possible because of the skills and confidence developed at K-State," he said.

The room in Washington, D.C., filled with champions, dignitaries and global icons was a long way from a finance classroom in Manhattan, Kansas. But for Tenbrink, the path between those two places isn't as unlikely as it might seem.

It was built on preparing for a global career at a university in the heartland. On saying yes to opportunities. On stepping away from the comfortable when something bigger called.

When the world turns its attention to Kansas City and the matches begin, Tenbrink won't just see a global tournament unfolding. He'll see years of disciplined work, bold decisions and community collaboration coming to life on the world stage.

And somewhere in that moment, he'll remember that it all started at K-State.

Not with a plan to work in sports, but with a willingness to build the skills and confidence to lead wherever the opportunity appeared.

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