Aspetar Magazine 2026

64 ASPETAR MAGAZINE SPECIAL REPORT By the time of the 2018 FIFAWorld Cup™ in Russia, Aspetar’s role had evolved significantly. The focus had shifted from supporting individual teams to contributing to l a r ge - s ca l e tournamen t infrastructure, where medical services had to operate seamlessly across entire host cities. The work of Dr Celeste Geertsema, Sports Medicine Physician at Aspetar, reflected this transformation. With a background in elite clinical care and international sports, Dr Celeste was appointed as the first female Venue Medical Officer at a men’s senior World Cup, overseeing medical coordination across stadiums, hotels, training sites, and public zones. “I should clarify that I was the first female Venue Medical Officer at a men’s senior World Cup in Russia in 2018,” she explains. “But I had already been working with FIFA for many years before that. The role has evolved enormously over time.” In Samara, she was responsible not only for medical services inside the stadium, but for an entire network of facilities and personnel. “The responsibility was vast,” she recalls. “It included the athlete clinic, field-of-play medical services, spectator and VIP clinics, ambulances, foot patrols, and coverage at FIFA and team hotels. Everything had to function as one system.” Every component, from emergency response and diagnostics to workforce coordination and logistics, had to be aligned in real time. Success depended not only on clinical expertise, but on precise communication and organisational discipline. Scaling Up: Russia 2018 and Integrated Operations with Dr Celeste My job is not to treat patients directly. It is to connect people and systems.