A Life Dedicated to Sports
Each and every one of Juan José 'Cheche' Vidal's achievements are a testament to how sports serve as a school for the pursuit of human excellence, and how its ethical dimension, expressed through Fair Play and Fair Competition, translates into actions through a life dedicated to creating impact with purpose. Cheche has played a key role in changing the History of Football/Soccer.
The Acclaimed Athlete
Cheche competed successfully in all categories and levels of football/soccer, from amateur and college to the Olympic Games and a notable professional career. His outstanding trajectory includes participating with the professional selection of Venezuela in the 1979 Copa América, serving as co-captain of the Venezuelan Olympic football/soccer team in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games and the Central American and Caribbean Games in Havana in 1983 and Medellín in 1978, where he won gold and silver medals, respectively.
His talent has been recognized with numerous awards, such as the Venezuelan Soccer Player of the Year award in 1979 and the Young Athlete of the Year in Venezuela in 1980, even being nominated for the Venezuelan Athlete of the Year award in 1980. These distinctions celebrated his influence on national sports. His ability to adapt and lead in various situations has established him as a benchmark for Venezuelan sports.
Cheche also shone in the United States, where he was a finalist for the prestigious Herman Award, given to the best college soccer player in the country, and was selected as a member of the United States All-American football/soccer team in both 1981 and 1983 (he could not play in 1982 due to a medical accident). Thus, in 1998, Cheche became the first Latin American to be inducted into the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame (goterriers.com/honors/boston-university-athletic-hall-of-fame/jose-vidal/212), a testament to his excellence on the field and his innate ability to lead with integrity.
His talent has been recognized with numerous awards, such as the Venezuelan Soccer Player of the Year award in 1979 and the Young Athlete of the Year in Venezuela in 1980, even being nominated for the Venezuelan Athlete of the Year award in 1980. These distinctions celebrated his influence on national sports. His ability to adapt and lead in various situations has established him as a benchmark for Venezuelan sports.
Cheche also shone in the United States, where he was a finalist for the prestigious Herman Award, given to the best college soccer player in the country, and was selected as a member of the United States All-American football/soccer team in both 1981 and 1983 (he could not play in 1982 due to a medical accident). Thus, in 1998, Cheche became the first Latin American to be inducted into the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame (goterriers.com/honors/boston-university-athletic-hall-of-fame/jose-vidal/212), a testament to his excellence on the field and his innate ability to lead with integrity.
The Pioneering and Innovative Technologist
With over four decades of innovation that has been immortalized in historical milestones, Cheché has stood out as an analytical and multifaceted engineer. His visionary approach has allowed the integration of advanced technologies that not only elevate the competitiveness of sports, but also support Fair Competition and enhance Fair Play.
Off the field, Cheché has held a wide variety of positions ranging from coach to senior FIFA World Cup official. Cheche has been a visionary and pioneer in the digital transformation of soccer since 1989, when he was hired by the 1994 FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee as one of its first officials, responsible for visualizing, planning, implementing, and managing the Telecommunications and Technology Department of the World Cup, successfully raising a $50 million budget and leading over 2,000 employees and volunteers under his leadership. His pioneering work was recognized with the 1993 VAR BUSINESS Integration Technology Award in the United States and nominations for the prestigious Smithsonian Computerworld Award in 1993 and 1994.
The technological solutions created and implemented under his leadership for the 1994 World Cup were donated to FIFA as part of the technological legacy established by the US '94 committee. As part of this effort, Cheche proposed to FIFA to use this legacy to create a technology department focused on this important dimension of the World Cup and soccer in general. This fundamental change not only enabled FIFA to provide the highest level of service to the media and the general public but also irreversibly transformed the role of technology in the World Cup. As a result, this was the last World Cup organizing committee that had to develop all technological solutions from scratch, marking a profound transformation in the way FIFA approached technology in the World Cup and within the organization itself.
Off the field, Cheché has held a wide variety of positions ranging from coach to senior FIFA World Cup official. Cheche has been a visionary and pioneer in the digital transformation of soccer since 1989, when he was hired by the 1994 FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee as one of its first officials, responsible for visualizing, planning, implementing, and managing the Telecommunications and Technology Department of the World Cup, successfully raising a $50 million budget and leading over 2,000 employees and volunteers under his leadership. His pioneering work was recognized with the 1993 VAR BUSINESS Integration Technology Award in the United States and nominations for the prestigious Smithsonian Computerworld Award in 1993 and 1994.
The technological solutions created and implemented under his leadership for the 1994 World Cup were donated to FIFA as part of the technological legacy established by the US '94 committee. As part of this effort, Cheche proposed to FIFA to use this legacy to create a technology department focused on this important dimension of the World Cup and soccer in general. This fundamental change not only enabled FIFA to provide the highest level of service to the media and the general public but also irreversibly transformed the role of technology in the World Cup. As a result, this was the last World Cup organizing committee that had to develop all technological solutions from scratch, marking a profound transformation in the way FIFA approached technology in the World Cup and within the organization itself.
THE VISIONARY BEHIND FIFA.com
FIFA.com, launched thanks to Cheche Vidal's vision and investment, marked the beginning of the global digital transformation of sports. In November 1994, Cheche presented the portal prototype to João Havelange, then FIFA president, and Joseph "Sepp" Blatter, then general secretary. This innovative portal, created by Cheche to complement the technological legacy of USA 94, established a new standard for digital communication in sports. Today, FIFA.com continues to connect millions of sports fans and professionals, transforming the way soccer is experienced around the world.
Cheche's vision was to create the world's first digital sports ecosystem by connecting the entire community of sports governing bodies affiliated with FIFA worldwide. To achieve this, he created his company, En-Linea, which became a leading company in sports technology integration and global Internet development, with which he created the first official Internet portals for the most prestigious soccer governing bodies in the world, such as FIFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, CAF, and numerous soccer federations. Through his company En-Linea, Cheche also provided consulting and technological services to some of the world's largest sporting events, such as the Japan/Korea World Cup (2002), CONCACAF Gold Cup (1998-2003), Atlanta Olympic Games (1996), France World Cup (1998), Rugby World Cup (Wales, 1999), and European Nations Cup (1996).
Cheche's vision was to create the world's first digital sports ecosystem by connecting the entire community of sports governing bodies affiliated with FIFA worldwide. To achieve this, he created his company, En-Linea, which became a leading company in sports technology integration and global Internet development, with which he created the first official Internet portals for the most prestigious soccer governing bodies in the world, such as FIFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, CAF, and numerous soccer federations. Through his company En-Linea, Cheche also provided consulting and technological services to some of the world's largest sporting events, such as the Japan/Korea World Cup (2002), CONCACAF Gold Cup (1998-2003), Atlanta Olympic Games (1996), France World Cup (1998), Rugby World Cup (Wales, 1999), and European Nations Cup (1996).
Fair Play through Fair Competition
Currently, Cheché continues to innovate in technology to enrich the way people experience their passion for sports. Recently, he launched his most advanced technological platform, Dribbli, based on the theories presented in his book Fair Competition. Dribbli is a next-generation sports management platform focused on participants, transforming the sports ecosystem into a modern digital sports social network to reflect, connect, inform, and manage all elements of the sports ecosystem in real-time, improving the overall experience for sports enthusiasts in the digital era and positioning them for future needs and trends in the sector (see www.dribbli.com)
Whether through his role as Vice President of Technology at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, or through the pioneering work of En-Linea, or his contributions as an expert to the Innovation Plan for the 2026 World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, or even his new and innovative digital platform for sports, Dribbli, which aims to help implement the culture of Fair Play through Fair Competition in sports, Cheche continues to set the standard through his work as a technologist, entrepreneur, and innovator, making him a role model and transforming the lives of millions of people.
THE MENTOR AND PUBLIC SPEAKER
Cheché also has an extensive background as a social activist in the sports world. He was a founding member of the Minority Committee of the United States Soccer Federation, led the foundation of the Venezuelan Professional Soccer Players Association (AUFPV in Spanish), and was part of the leadership team of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University in Boston, USA.
This wide range of experiences has allowed Cheché to develop a unique and deep perspective on the world of soccer and sports in general, making him a vital voice in all matters related to Fair Competition and Fair Play, both in sports and in life in general.
This wide range of experiences has allowed Cheché to develop a unique and deep perspective on the world of soccer and sports in general, making him a vital voice in all matters related to Fair Competition and Fair Play, both in sports and in life in general.
He has been an invited speaker at numerous industry conventions and events, including, among others, the 2000 World Soccer Expo (Cannes, France), the 2003 South American Sports Marketing Convention (Guayaquil, Ecuador), the 2004 World Forum (Barcelona, Spain), the 2008 World Summit on Sports Marketing (Frankfurt, Germany) and the 2024 International Congress of sports Law in Cali, Colombia.