UNC Hussman alumna hosts FIFA World Cup TV series

This story, written by UNC Hussman alumnus Michael Lananna ’14, was originally published at unc.edu.

Jenny Chiu ’17 always aimed to become a soccer star. And she has — just not in the way she imagined.

As 48 countries compete in the FIFA World Cup this summer, Chiu’s presence can be felt across the globe. The UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media alumna is the host and face of the TV show “Stories From the Cities,” FIFA’s official documentary series for the World Cup.

For the show, Chiu visits the World Cup’s 16 host cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Broadcast worldwide, the series features interviews with local figures, athletes and soccer aficionados and digs into soccer culture at each stop.

“I honestly just feel honored that I was chosen to tell these stories,” said Chiu, who spent the last year filming for what she called a “dream gig.”

A sports broadcaster, journalist and content creator, Chiu has made waves in soccer spaces since graduating from Carolina. Along with hosting the documentary series, Chiu was one of five founding members of the country’s first 24/7 soccer network, CBS Sports Golazo, and she was a 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree.

Despite her success, journalism was not the career Chiu imagined when she came to Chapel Hill in 2013. Recruited to play for the now 23-time national champion Carolina women’s team, Chiu always thought her soccer stardom would come on the field.

Finding a new passion

A proud Mexican-Chinese American, Chiu grew up in the border town of El Paso, Texas, raised by immigrant parents who came to the U.S. with few resources.

Soccer was Chiu’s ticket to move up in the world. She gravitated to the sport at a young age, and her precocious play at several high-profile youth showcases garnered her international hype. Most notably, Chiu starred for the Mexican National Team at the under-17 and under-20 FIFA World Cups, drawing the attention of Anson Dorrance, the legendary former Carolina coach.

However, a debilitating back injury derailed Chiu before her career could truly take flight. Diagnosed with three bulging disks late in high school, Chiu came to Carolina as a shell of the player she used to be. She barely saw the field in her four years with the Tar Heels.

“I did not have the playing career I wanted at UNC; that is a fact,” Chiu said. “It’s important to acknowledge that it wasn’t easy. I really struggled. When the whole team would go on trips, like the ACC tournament, and I was left at home because I wasn’t one of the top players, that feeling was really crushing.”

After investing the majority of her life in the sport, Chiu found herself rudderless and depressed. But before long, she reinvented herself.

Looking back now, Chiu said she’s grateful for the journey she experienced at Carolina and specifically credits longtime UNC Hussman professor C.A. Tuggle for steering her toward a career in journalism. After she enrolled at UNC Hussman, Chiu gained valuable broadcasting experience through programs like “Sports Xtra” and “Carolina Ahora,” and in 2016 she had the life-changing opportunity to cover the Olympics in Brazil with classmates.

“I got to do so much because of the education that I received from UNC and the access that I got to the journalism program and how much I learned there,” said Chiu, a former Carolina Covenant Scholar. “I feel like I would not be this global human without my education, and I am endlessly grateful. This is a life — professionally and personally — beyond anything that a little girl from El Paso, Texas, could have ever dreamed of.”