Volunteers: Between Passion and Sacrifice

With less than 50 days until the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11, global attention is turning toward venues, matches, sponsorships, team lineups, and more. Yet a different group of participants engages with the event in a less visible but equally essential way: volunteering. Volunteering offers individuals a unique opportunity to be part of the World Cup beyond simply attending as fans, placing them at the center of the event’s operations.

Despite being labeled as “volunteer” work, the process of becoming part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup workforce is far from casual. The application process began as early as August 2025 and closed the following month, followed by several months of screening and selection from October through January. During this period, selected applicants were invited to participate in further evaluations, allowing organizers to assess their suitability for specific roles. Those who advanced received role assignments between December and April, before entering a final stage of preparation leading up to the tournament. This structured timeline highlights the level of selectivity and commitment required of volunteers. Rather than a simple sign-up process, the system resembles a formal recruitment pipeline, reinforcing the idea that volunteers are expected to meet standards similar to those of paid personnel.

The role of volunteers can be understood through an exchange of value between individuals and event organizers. For volunteers, participation offers a range of non-monetary and intangible benefits: the intrinsic satisfaction of contributing to the event, hands-on experience in event operations, networking opportunities, and the chance to be part of a globally recognized sporting event. For many, it also represents a sense of pride and personal fulfillment, particularly when contributing to an event such as the FIFA World Cup which carries a vast and passionate global fan base.

At the same time, both sports organizations and host cities have clear incentives to rely on volunteers. Volunteers provide a cost-effective workforce that supports essential functions in mega sporting events. The value of volunteer labor has been widely recognized, with notable growth since the 1980s. Beyond labor, volunteers also contribute to broader economic activity, including tourism. While most volunteers are local residents, a portion travel from other regions to volunteer for sporting events. This movement generates additional demand for transportation and accommodation, increasing visitor spending and contributing to tourism revenue in host cities. In this way, volunteers not only support event operations but also contribute to the broader economic impact of mega sporting events.

In a highly commercialized sports landscape, it is not always easy for individuals to commit their time, energy, and resources solely out of passion for sport or a desire to contribute. While volunteers may gain valuable experiences through participation, their role also raises important questions about the nature of unpaid labor within large-scale sporting events that generate significant revenue. At the same time, it is important to recognize that introducing financial compensation could fundamentally alter the nature of volunteering itself. Ultimately, this tension leads to a broader question: to what extent can passion alone sustain the labor demands of global sporting events?