2026 World Cup receives record number of volunteer applications

Tom Weber

• 7 Oct 2025 16:34 CDT
• 3 min read

News

Volunteer applications for the 2026 World Cup have exceeded the 1 million mark, setting a new record for a sporting event, FIFA has announced.

The upcoming World Cup, hosted in Canada, Mexico and the United States between 11 June and 19 July, is drawing closer, and it is shaping up to be one of the biggest events in sports history.

Football's premier international competition will be hosted by three countries for the first time, and it will be the first to include 48 teams as opposed to the previous 32.

Despite concerns surrounding the number of teams, the workload on players, the summer heat and skyrocketing ticket prices, there seems to be plenty of excitement for the World Cup.

According to FIFA, more than 1 million volunteer applications have been submitted for the competition, eclipsing any other sporting event in history. The application window remains open until 10 October.

Infantino praises 'heart and soul' of FIFA tournaments

The 2026 World Cup will feature the largest "Volunteer Community" in FIFA's history, with "some 65,000 volunteers set to be assigned roles throughout the competition."

FIFA says that the record number of applications "highlights the local, national and global appeal of the world’s biggest and best-ever football tournament."

Football's global governing body opened its first of 12 Volunteer Centres in New York City today, 7 October. These centres will "host all Volunteer Team Tryouts, inductions and training sessions."

FIFA president Gianni Infantino hailed volunteers as the "heart, soul and smile of FIFA tournaments." Interested individuals are not required to have any previous experience.

“We have volunteers from 18 to 92 years old," Infantino said. "We have students starting out their journeys to retirees sharing their skills and experiences; and everybody has a story to tell - it truly is the most diverse community in the world."

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