Photo of Fauzan Saari in Unsplash
With the 2026 World Cup less than a year away, an unprecedented milestone has been reached: more than one million people from around the world have applied to be volunteers, making this tournament's volunteer program the largest in the history of a FIFA sporting event.
Key facts about the call
In August 2025, FIFA launched the process to form the 2026 World Cup volunteer community, seeking 65,000 volunteers to work in different host cities.
Volunteers are needed in 23 to 24 functional areas, including stadiums, training sites, airports, hotels, and fan festivals.
Volunteers must be 18 or older, pass a background check, work at least eight shifts during the tournament (which runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026), and be fluent in English; other languages are desirable in Canada and Mexico.
World Cup 2026: Implications and Global Reach
The interest exceeded all expectations: with more than a million applications already received, this call marks a record for volunteer volume at a sporting event.
In specific cities, local enthusiasm has been particularly strong. For example, Houston received nearly 10,000 applications just days after opening its own application process, despite having only about 5,200 positions available.
Canada also stands out among the host countries: Toronto and Vancouver lead the number of applicants, and more than 180,000 of the applications are for jobs in Canada.
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