What it takes to be a World Cup 2026 volunteer in Seattle
This story is part of our FIFA World Cup special section, publishing in the Sunday edition of The Mix in print. Visit this page for more World Cup coverage.
On a cloudy Wednesday morning in Pioneer Square in May, George Fetherston circled around a room decorated with foosball tables, soccer balls from previous World Cups and a rack of lime green shirts and deep purple pants and jackets.
It was Fetherston's first shift as a FIFA World Cup volunteer in Seattle, where he helped with fitting volunteer uniforms at the headquarters of SeattleFWC26, the local organizing committee for the tournament. Standing behind a table, he handed out boxes of Adidas shoes specially designed for this year's volunteers.
"Having a part in the most expansive World Cup yet is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," said Fetherston, who played soccer during his childhood and now enjoys refereeing.
Participating in the World Cup beyond the stands is a bucket list item for many volunteer applicants - and, in Seattle, one that only a fraction of those who applied are able to fulfill in an especially competitive year. Seattle, which is hosting six World Cup matches June 15-July 6, received 35,000 applicants for its 2,000 slots, said Hana Tadesse, vice president of communications at SeattleFWC26. Across all host countries and cities, volunteer applications exceeded 1 million - an all-time record for a sports event, according to FIFA.
For those applicants in Seattle, the road to secure a volunteer spot took an application, interview - and a bunch of waiting.
"It's something we are waiting for for four years," said Laura Salas of the every-four-years World Cup tournaments. Salas grew up surrounded by a sweeping soccer culture in Argentina - watching games at home and in school - before moving to Seattle two years ago. This summer, she's assigned to the World Cup's ceremonies, holding banners and flags with other volunteers on the stadium field. "So to me, just being part, in some way, in the World Cup, it's an amazing experience that I can have in my life."
Applications for the volunteer program opened in August, with the form asking for information such as language proficiencies, any past volunteer experience, time commitment and availability. In Seattle, FIFA invited around 3,500 shortlisted applicants to in-person tryouts at the SeattleFWC26 headquarters in January, which included an interview, said Thomas Kismarton, volunteer program lead for those chosen to be host city ambassadors, and operations coordinator at Washington Youth Soccer, which also selected some of the volunteers.
When Mariana Cubillan heard Seattle would be a host city for the World Cup this summer, she immediately sent in her application to be a volunteer. She didn't care that she lived in Portland, a three-hour drive away. During volunteer tryouts, Cubillan told her interviewer she was more than willing to travel back and forth for her shifts.
"It will be an experience I'll be telling to my grandchildren one day," Cubillan remembers thinking. Her earliest memory of soccer was watching games on TV with her uncle, who played the sport semiprofessionally, in Venezuela. And Cubillan said her interest in soccer inspired her to study communications and become a sports journalist. She initially wanted to work as a media operations volunteer to have the chance to "be in the field where things were happening," Cubillan said - but she didn't make the cut, getting a rejection email earlier in May. If other volunteer opportunities by FIFA pop up near her, Cubillan said she wouldn't hesitate to apply again.
FIFA declined to comment on its volunteer selection process, citing no spokesperson availability, but said on its website that volunteers should "bring team spirit and a friendly and proactive attitude" and that "certain roles may require specific skills or experience." Kismarton said his organization looked for candidates who are multilingual, comfortable interacting with fans, possess leadership experience, and have a knowledge of, and love for, soccer.
"Tryouts was an incredible phase where you really got to see the passion coming through for this sport," Kismarton said. "Everyone was really, really excited about it. It's been exciting to be a part of everything, and it's been hard to make the determination between who gets invited back and who does not."
Ultimately, FIFA accepted 1,400 volunteers in Seattle, while around 600 were selected by Washington Youth Soccer, Kismarton said.
After getting an offer, volunteers were required to complete and pass a security background check before attending training sessions for their assigned positions, according to the FIFA website.
Volunteers indicated their top choice placements - from ceremonies to ticketing and event transport - in the online application, and FIFA and Washington Youth Soccer assigned roles based on each person's strengths and interests, Kismarton said.
The volunteers under Washington Youth Soccer will be placed in stations around the "last mile" operational zone - a dedicated pedestrian area around the stadium - and volunteer center, Kismarton said. Some of these volunteers will guide fans enjoying festivities outside Lumen Field, smoothing entry into the stadium by helping them prepare their tickets and bags. Others will support specific locations, such as the Seattle Soccer House in Pacific Place mall, guiding guests between different floors.
Leticia Cortez, who lives in Vancouver, Wash., originally applied to be a volunteer in case she couldn't buy tickets to any World Cup games. She's now handling accreditation for staff, players, media and other volunteers, and said she had to commit to a minimum of six shifts. Cortez, who played community soccer as a child, said she often goes to Portland Timbers games with her family and enjoys seeing fans turn into one community.
"Had (the World Cup) not been in the United States or even specifically in Seattle, I don't think I would have been able to go to a game," said Cortez, who added that she and her family got tickets to the Belgium versus Egypt game on June 15.
In May, volunteers picked up their official uniform - shoes, socks, pants, a shirt, bag, hat and jacket - and will get to keep these items and earn a certificate of completion after the World Cup. FIFA does not cover "volunteering-related expenses" beyond giving volunteers meals and refreshments during their shifts, according to its website.
When Jennifer Hayes flew to Germany to watch a game between Brazil and Australia during the 2006 World Cup, she noticed the groups of volunteers assisting her and her husband outside the stadium. Twenty years later, the Seattle resident still remembers the electrifying, celebratory chants that erupted from tens of thousands of fans. She's currently retired and a World Cup volunteer herself, distributing uniforms for FIFA staff and volunteers.
Hayes played soccer for most of her life and was part of a women's varsity team at Whitman College in Walla Walla during the 1980s. She looks forward to sharing her excitement with soccer fans both from and outside Seattle, and learning about their background and history with the global sport.
"It was really fun to be selected and represent the city," Hayes said. "Just having been to one, it's a huge deal, and hopefully we'll see a lot of people coming into town."
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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 4:52 PM.