A group of hopeful Kansas Citians are about to get up close and personal with some of the 650,000 soccer fans coming for the 2026 World Cup. Who the lucky few will be, and what they will be doing is yet to be decided.
After a selection process that began in November with a public kickoff at Union Station managed by KC2026, a nonprofit organization overseeing strategy and delivering host city duties for FIFA, a group of 5,000 hopefuls are currently in the process of being offered volunteer roles through FIFA. KMBC-TV reported a total of 16,000 Kansas Citians had applied.
The selection process in Kansas City included tryout conversations conducted by KC2026 using the volunteer application forms submitted through the FIFA website to review their specific skills and why they wanted to be volunteers.
Information on FIFA’s website confirmed that once a role is offered, a selected applicant can either accept or reject the offer. When an offer is accepted, the applicant can then select shifts.
Available volunteer roles include access management, accommodation help, arrivals and departure help, host city ambassadors, ticketing services and others. Most volunteers will be positioned at the stadium, and some include volunteer work during the pre-competition period in addition to the competition period.
As positions become confirmed, a roster and schedule will be finalized along with online orientation through FIFA, plus role-specific training and venue-specific training. Accreditation and uniform distribution begin in May through the FIFA Volunteer Center.
As of now, about 79 percent of Kansas City volunteer hopefuls have received role offers. “We will have information coming soon on volunteer updates as we are currently in the offer stage,” according to a KC2026 spokesperson. Kansas City role offers will continue for several weeks.
Requirements to be a volunteer include being 18 or older at the time of application, with no upper age limit, and the ability to commit to a minimum of eight shifts of six hours each shift during the tournament. A volunteer also must pass a security background check.
Pam Kramer, CEO of KC2026, said in a press briefing March 9 that people are just eager to help, whether it’s transportation to and from airport, or during the fan festival, or helping media operations. “We’re seeing a very high acceptance rate,” she said during a press briefing March 9. “They are saying yes to whatever they’re offered, and they are ready to go.”
She confirmed the 5,000 being offered roles now, and that KC2026 can validate the number of accepted roles at a later date. “These people will be the first smiles that are seen at the airport and the last smile people see before they leave,” Kramer says. “They are really important.”
FIFA reports that there were more than 1 million applicants for volunteer roles in the three countries where World Cup 2026 is being played. FIFA will be selecting 65,000 volunteers.
