With just days until the first FIFA World Cup match in Foxboro, Massachusetts, thousands of volunteers are preparing to help welcome fans to the largest tournament in FIFA history. The 2026 World Cup will span three countries and 16 host cities. FIFA selected nearly 50,000 volunteers worldwide after receiving about 1.1 million applications.

Local Volunteers Share Their Experience

Among them is Fabian Antonio Cifuentes Fernandes of Springfield, who will commute about 90 miles to Boston to work six four-hour shifts directing fans to buses and trains at South Station. “I’m ready for this. I got my shift, I got my uniforms, I got my credentials,” Cifuentes said. The volunteer role is unpaid, but Cifuentes said the opportunity is worth it.

Originally from Venezuela, he believes his volunteer experience and language skills helped him stand out during the selection process. “I was a volunteer in the immigration process to help the people, and I work right now in environmental services in MGM Springfield,” Cifuentes said.

Even with his excitement, Cifuentes said the application process was challenging because of the sheer number of applicants. “It was a little bit difficult because a lot of people applied to the FIFA World Cup volunteers,” he said. Only about 5% of applicants were selected. In Boston, just over 3,000 volunteers made the final cut.

Not Selected, But Still Encouraged

Kelly and Joao Andrade were among those who were not selected. “It was very competitive, for sure,” Kelly Andrade said. The couple advanced through several rounds of the application process, including an in-person evaluation. While they were disappointed by the outcome, they said they still valued the experience.

Kelly Andrade said communication was one of the biggest challenges for applicants. “Some people received emails, some people received take-back emails. There was an app. It was a little bit inconsistent how people were receiving their notifications. So I think one of the key struggles was the communication between the league with the volunteers,” she said.

Despite not being selected, the Andrades said they would encourage others to apply in the future. “The gift of giving and service, I think that’s fundamental. You know, it’s the foundation of every great event like this that count on people who are willing to volunteer,” Joao Andrade said.

Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.