Philly’s local host committee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup unveiled its volunteer center in the East Market’s Fashion District mall on Wednesday. 

Located in a two-story, 18,000-square-foot space that was previously used for events like the Banksy immersive exhibition, it will serve as the city’s administrative hub for the tournament. It will also be the headquarters and main waiting point for volunteers, before they’re sent out to key locations during the tournament — in and around Lincoln Financial Field, for sure, but also at the Lemon Hill fanfest, Philadelphia International Airport and other popular transport locations for the games.

The FIFA World Cup 2026™ volunteer uniform on display at the opening of the volunteer center in Philadelphia’s Fashion District on October 15th, 2025. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

Aubrey Walton, FIFA’s executive director of host cities, said that it was one of the first volunteer centers to be fully operational across all 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“Philly continually sets the bar for other host cities because you understand something fundamental,” she said. “Volunteers aren’t just helping run the tournament. They are the tournament.”

The space is where tournament volunteers likely will spend most of their time while working on the tournament, and it comes packed with ways to avoid boredom during their down time. The walls are covered with tournament factoids and vibrant colors. There are TV screens, and tables for foosball and Teqball — a soccer-table tennis hybrid game. Displays that highlight the soccer history of Philly and the nation, much of it provided by the FIFA Museum, are all over. 

Alison Grove, Senior Director of Strategy, Operations and Partnerships for Philadelphia Soccer 2026, spoke at the opening of The FIFA World Cup 2026™ volunteer center in the Fashion District in Philadelphia. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

“This is really the clubhouse for the volunteers — the mothership, if you will,” said Alison Grove, Philadelphia Soccer 2026’s volunteer lead.

Philadelphia Soccer 2026 said that the city had received 26,000 applications from the over 1 million submitted to FIFA during the volunteer application period. It was among the top in volunteer applications, FIFA said. Over 50% of the volunteer applicants for Philly were from outside the country.

The Philadelphia Flyers mascot gets some love from a service dog at the opening of The FIFA World Cup 2026™ volunteer center in the Fashion District in Philadelphia. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

After an interview and vetting process, which begins tomorrow, Philly plans to select just over 3,000 volunteers to train for the tournament.

Philly was part of FIFA’s dress rehearsal for the World Cup, hosting eight games this past summer in the FIFA Club World Cup. Many of the volunteers at that tournament applied for next year’s event and joined the “starting lineup” that will help screen and train the new applicants.

Attendees to the opening of The FIFA World Cup 2026™ volunteer center in the Fashion District were invited to ring the bell for a gift. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

Among them was West Philly resident Mosab Mohammadi, who helped with the center launch.

“It really was an amazing experience full of memories,” he recalled about the past summer. “Meeting a lot of people from different backgrounds. We had a lot of international people, even at the Club World Cup. And we’re expecting even more people at the World Cup happening next year.”

West Philadelphia resident Mosab Mohammadi was a volunteer on hand for the opening of The FIFA World Cup 2026™ volunteer center in the Fashion District. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

The tournament plans to have more than 65,000 volunteers involved across all its venues, the most ever for any sporting event.

“That’s what’s going to make the World Cup so special,” said City of Philadelphia Director Michael Newmuis. “Not just the matches, but the thousands of volunteers who will greet visitors, answer questions, share directions and show the world what Philadelphia is all about.”

The World Cup begins in Mexico City on June 11 and ends on July 19 at New Jersey’s Metlife Stadium. Philly’s Linc will host six of the tournament’s 104 games, including a round-of-16 match on July 4 that will coincide with the country’s semiquincentennial celebrations. Overall, FIFA expects 6.5 million fans to travel across the globe for the festivities. The first lottery draw for tickets just concluded and the second takes place  Oct. 27-31, with the time slots for the randomly selected applicants held in mid-November. High ticket prices and FIFA’s early implementation of dynamic pricing and a “right to buy” token system have already drawn criticism.

The 1970-2022 FIFA World Cup™ miniature collectable balls on display for the opening of The FIFA World Cup 2026™ volunteer center in the Fashion District. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

June 11, 2026, will also be the opening day of Philly’s fanfest location at East Fairmount Park’s Lemon Hill, where fans without game tickets can watch a live broadcast of the action, along with music, food and other entertainment. Construction to enhance Lemon Hill began in September.

Grove said the hosting team is focused on creating a legacy that lasts long after the tournament is over.

“The World Cup is huge, but it’s a moment in time. It takes years of preparation to bring it here and then they move on,” she  said. “So, what do we have to show for it afterwards? We’re going to have a spectacular new park at Lemon Hill where we’re hosting the fan festival. We’re going to have new places to play and people to teach kids how to play soccer across the city and across the region.”

FIFA also contributed to that legacy with a $1 million donation, something it did for all 11 host cities for the Club World Cup. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the money should go to soccer facilities in areas of need and activities with local associations.

Part of that legacy also involves helping to revitalize the Market East corridor, a section of the city that has struggled to thrive for decades and was the center of a tumultuous, failed bid to build a new arena for the Philadelphia 76ers.

The FIFA World Cup 2026™ volunteer center opened in Philadelphia’s Fashion District on October 15th, 2025. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

“Our hope was to really be a catalyst for that, to set an example, inspire activation for certainly next summer, but in years to come,” Grove said. “We really hope that this provides a lasting legacy here on East Market and creates that turn that we’ve all been looking for.”

Part of that effort will be a food voucher program for volunteers to eat at restaurants in the area, Grove said.