FIFA Wants 65,000 Free Workers for 2026 Men’s World Cup
Gianni Infantino wants you to be part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America—just not on the payroll. The head of soccer’s global governing body is looking for 65,000 volunteers to help run the biggest tournament in the sport, all without getting paid a dime.
The application process for the FIFA World Cup Volunteer Program is now open, and Infantino’s message is simple: come work for the most profitable organization in global sport, get a free shirt, and call it an “experience of a lifetime.”
Who FIFA Is Looking For
You don’t need to have volunteer experience, but you must be 18 or older and legally allowed to work as a volunteer in one of the three host countries—the United States, Canada, or Mexico. Language skills are a plus:
- U.S.: Good command of English.
- Mexico: English and Spanish preferred.
- Canada: English and French considered an asset.
If selected, you’ll be invited to “Volunteer Team Tryouts” starting in October 2025, followed by training in March 2026.
What World Cup Volunteers Will Actually Do
FIFA says volunteers will support 23 different functional areas at stadiums, training sites, airports, hotels, and other key locations. In their words, volunteers are “the heart, soul, and smile” of the tournament—though it’s worth noting they’re also the unpaid labor force making sure operations run smoothly.
Why FIFA Doesn’t Pay
The logic is simple. Why pay for something when you can get it for free? The NFL does it for the Super Bowl, and FIFA takes the same playbook—staff the event with unpaid workers, give them a hat and a pat on the back, and call it a win-win. But when you’re talking about an organization that pulled in billions in revenue from the last World Cup, the optics are… well, let’s just say not great.
Infantino’s Sales Pitch
Infantino insists it’s about pride, not paychecks. “Volunteers get to show off their local pride, gain a behind-the-scenes view of the tournament, and make memories and friendships that can last a lifetime, while supporting a historic event,” he says.
That may all be true—but it’s also true that FIFA gets world-class event staffing without opening the checkbook. And when the final whistle blows in 2026, it’s the paid executives who will be counting the profits, not the volunteers who put in the hours.
Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191
Reach Evan at evan_weiner@hotmail.com
