The city of Dallas opened its 2026 FIFA World Cup volunteer center at Fair Park on Tuesday, paving the way for recruiting thousands of people who will support the global sporting event that will come to North Texas next summer.
The center will transform into a training facility in January to serve as the headquarters for volunteers, including where they will receive their uniforms and roles for the event. For the next three months, recruiting will play a crucial role in the selection process, according to organizers.
“Volunteers are the backbone of any major sporting event that we do,” said Monica Paul, president of North Texas FIFA World Cup organizing committee. “This is the place that they’ll be able to come and they’ll get their training and their uniforms and really the activation point for the FIFA World Cup.”
Roughly half of the 33,000 applicants are expected to try out at the center until January.
Breaking News
Related
The organizing committee aims to recruit around 6,000 volunteers. The volunteer center features an exhibition room with World Cup memorabilia, a video room that shows a 10-minute highlight video, and 40 conversation pods where participants engage in discussions.
The FWC committee chose Fair Park for its volunteer recruitment because of its proximity to the DART Rail System. The 39-day festival in downtown will feature match broadcasts, music, food and a lot of fans.
“We wanted something that was a little bit easier to get to, but then also close to where a lot of our volunteers may be serving,” Paul said.
It has been 32 years since Dallas last hosted the World Cup. The city held six matches in 1994 at the Cotton Bowl Stadium.
With the World Cup approaching, some applicants are looking forward to being picked in January to help the city and to experience what many consider a rare, generational event.
Related
“We answered a questionnaire and sent it in, and then we were invited for tryouts,” said Ed Olvera, Plano native and potential volunteer. “I’m looking forward to a new experience. I think FIFA Dallas got everything handled.”
Tasks for volunteers will range from hosting fans at the festival to welcoming arriving fans to their hotels. Volunteers are tasked with ensuring a smooth operation and providing energy and excitement for the games.
“We are looking for anyone who is just willing to help, willing to just be a part of this amazing opportunity that we have,” said Stephanie Crookham, Volunteers Operations Manager.
Related
The city of Dallas and 10 other cities across the U.S will host the World Cup opening in June, along with Canada and Mexico.
“I oversee all 11 U.S host cities. So I’m here in Dallas, helping out our Dallas team kick off the volunteer center,” Crookham said. “We conducted our first volunteer training over the weekends, and now we’re ready to open the center and conduct our volunteer team tryouts.”
The tournament will kick off June 11 at the Cotton Bowl, touted by local leaders to boost the economy and small businesses in the area.
“We are projecting over 54% of our visitors to be international visitors,” Paul said. “This World Cup is projected to generate over $1.5 to $2.1 billion in economic impact.”
Venues and businesses can register for the chance to receive vendor opportunities for the World Cup at DallasFWC26.com.
“This is a great opportunity to get a lot of those visitors to experience their restaurant and attractions,” Paul said.