The Super Sports volunteer, Brenda Chinn, knows what he is talking about when it comes to the thousands of unpaid positions that FIFA has opened to cover the needs of volunteers of the 2026 Men World Cup.
“You may not want to be in transport or in a parking lot,” he said. “Do not tell anyone that you have a class 4 license. By the way, I don’t have one, so I don’t get caught in transport.”
The free advice of someone whose free work recently earned him the voluntary title of the year of title 2025 Sport Tourism of Canada, and that for decades has helped feed an incalculable number of events and tournaments around the low continent and beyond.
When CBC updated with Chinn, it was in the midst of filming a volunteer video for the organizers of the Vancouver World Cup with BC Place as a backdrop.
“I think the volunteers are the heart and soul of any event and the ambassadors of the event,” he said. “I will welcome the world as the Blue Jackets did for the 2010 Paralympic and Olympic Games.”
On Monday, FIFA announced that the requests had opened for the approximately 65,000 volunteers needed in the 16 cities of Canada, the United States and Mexico organized the 104 -games tournament of next summer.
Individually, Vancouver needs between 2,500 and 3,000 volunteers for the seven games that will arrive at BC Place in June and July, according to the local host committee leader.
“It is a function of what is the footprint of the city,” said Jessie Adcock.
“You know there will be a movement between the airport, the stadium and the fans festival [at Hastings Park]. Based on the logistics of that and help people move around the city, in the various Skytrain stations, that is the number we believe will help. “
Adcock says that the positions range from the city ambassador and the tournament to event operations, including security and security personnel. She expects the supply of people who want to be volunteer to exceed demand.
“This is a unique opportunity in life. It is the largest volunteer program that FIFA has put.
As for why FIFA, a multi -million dollar organization that benefits generously from the World Cup, cannot pay its voluntary army, Adcock says he would take away the magic of the tournament.
“There are a number of positions that will be created that positions will be paid and, ultimately, the voluntary aspect of this and any other important sporting event is that special extra sauce that is placed in tail,” he said.
“I think it is a great opportunity for people to get involved locally, from a volunteer perspective, but also a perspective of participation, and finally create that atmosphere that is more electric.”
As for the most coveted volunteer positions, Chinn has these words of wisdom.
“The plum concerts would probably be things like the hosts of the team or somewhere where you can really see the action,” he said.
Canada receives an automatic position in the 2026 World Cup as a host nation and will play two pool games in BC Place on June 18 and June 24.
The raffle to determine the clashes will take place on an un specified date at the end of this year, according to FIFA, and the tournament expands from 32 to 48 teams for the first time.
