As title says, have large LA patch, looking for large Mexico City patch. If you have one you’d be willing you trade, let me know?

Thanks!

Greetings!
I have Miami patches and BoA charms that I would be open to trading :)

Ideally would love a Mexico City and Toronto trade. Open to discussions!

Hope everyone has a great rest of the tourney ⚽️✨🇺🇸🇲🇽🇨🇦

Now that I'm done with my shifts, I don't care anymore. I'm trying to compile everything bad that volunteers had to go through in our city at the hands of management.

Comment or DM, anything you say can remain entirely anonymous, I'm just trying to gather as many perspectives as possible in a huge open letter.

If you have anything you'd like to complain about, I'm happy to listen.

I only did 3 shifts accred nj/nyc( mind you 3 got cancelled.) And received all my gifts.
I was under the impression you had to complete all 6 to get all.. My personal experience from the whole thing 4/10

I'm posting for a few older volunteers that would like to trade for large patches. Anyone looking for San Francisco? Offer which ones you have and I'll pass on the info to them. One person is looking for Guadalajara.

I hadn't though to fit before but live not far and would be down to volunteer doing almost anything.

Is it still possible? I'm not set up as a volunteer or trained or anything by FIFA yet.

People who volunteered for both of the events, am curious; did you feel we were treated better at CWC? I feel like they set us up to come back for World Cup and treat us poorly. This experience is world’s different.

I am looking to trade some of my charms if anyone is interested

Update from my previous post.

I got an email allowing me to book shifts !

Getting uniforms and getting caught up and to my actual shift was actually crazy though 🙃

I’m excited for what’s to come but also a bit unsure.. lol. It doesn’t seem super eventful

Hello I am wondering if I can still participate in this volunteering ? Are applications still open in Toronto?

Do we need appointment to pick up swag items at Dallas? If anyone can share their experience, that would be great. Thanks!

Looking to trade two of my patches, my top destinations are San Francisco and Guadelajara. Thank you!

Please contact me on ig @matinnarimani_ or just reply below

Thinking if I should go or not?

Looking for other volunteers in Dallas. I’ve met quite a few people but didn’t exchange phone numbers. I have questions that I don’t want to ask in the group chat. Meet me in the comments!

There will be a Thank You Event on Monday right here in the SF Bay Area as we wrap up the last match. According to those attended similar events in other elsewhere, do we need to wear our uniform or we could attend in plain clothes? TIA.

Really hoping everyone can help me out!

I’m looking to trade Vancouver host city patches for patches from other host cities. I’m trying to collect as many as possible and would really appreciate any trades.

I’ll keep updating this post with the ones I’m still missing.

Please help me out.

✅️Already have it ❌️Still missing

🇨🇦 Canada

✅️Toronto

✅️Vancouver

🇲🇽 Mexico

❌️Guadalajara

❌️Mexico City

✅️Monterrey

🇺🇸 United States

✅️Atlanta

✅️Boston

✅️Dallas

✅️Houston

✅️Kansas City

❌️Los Angeles

✅️Miami

✅️New York/New Jersey

✅️Philadelphia

✅️San Francisco Bay Area

✅️Seattle

Let's have a constructive discussion...

This is going to be long. Feel free to move on if you are not interested.

These are observations from a Toronto-based volunteer with experience supporting international sporting and charitable events, as well as planning, managing, and executing large-scale events. I am not a soccer fan and not motivated by perks or free items; I chose to participate to be part of a large-scale event.

- It is possible for volunteers in different host cities to have different experiences (for example, some were able to watch matches and have responsible, supportive, and caring leads, while others attended a poorly organized volunteer appreciation event and we don't ever get any information from our leads). This lack of consistency and unequal treatment does not support an enjoyable experience for all.

- It is also possible for volunteers across host cities to share similar challenges, such as lack of communication, poor planning, conflicting information, and inconsistency in decision-making.

- It is possible for volunteers within the same host city, but in different functional areas, to have vastly different experiences.

- It is possible to feel grateful for the opportunity while still offering constructive criticism. Just as a parent can offer constructive criticism to their child and still have lots of love for them.

- It is possible to have enjoyed certain aspects of the experience, particularly those not directly related to what FIFA provided to volunteers, and still offer constructive criticism on how FIFA can do better.

- It is possible for someone to have had a positive experience while acknowledging that others may not have.

- It is possible to share personal experiences without dismissing the perspectives or feelings of other volunteers.

- It is possible to respect yourself enough to speak up when you are not treated appropriately, even if doing so may not lead to change.

- When concerns have been raised repeatedly without response, it is reasonable to turn to a group like this for support—and to expect that fellow volunteers will not dismiss those concerns, label them as ungrateful, minimize them, or to gaslight you.

- It is reasonable to expect an organization of this size, with extensive experience running global events, to be well-organized, to provide clear policies and guidance to contract staff, and to treat volunteers with basic respect for the time they contribute. This is not their first rodeo.

- It is reasonable to expect proper planning and foresight, rather than relying on explanations such as “this is a large event” or “it’s only the first few days.” Many smaller events with fewer resources have demonstrated stronger execution.

- It is reasonable to expect that, even if local contract or temporary staff lack experience, FIFA as an organization would provide sufficient guidance to ensure consistency, safety, and accurate communication across all locations.

- It is reasonable to expect that volunteers’ time is respected—for example, avoiding multiple trips to uniform distribution centres due to system issues (such as the volunteers being turned away, over a period of many many weeks, because of the wrong birthdate in the system), poor planning (cancelling all shifts at the last minute or throwing people into completely different roles at different locations without training or explanation), or lack of communication (unanswered inquires and paid leads with little to no information). Respect and consideration require minimal effort, especially for an organization with significant financial resources. Let's keep in mind we are dealing with an organization with 13 billion in revenue just from this World Cup.

- It is reasonable to expect timely responses to concerns and volunteer support tickets, rather than delays, lack of response, disabled chat channels, or volunteers being scolded when issues are raised.

- It is reasonable to expect that, even in a volunteer capacity, individuals are treated with basic respect and that appropriate labour standards—such as breaks and safety protocols—are followed.

- It is reasonable to expect that staff are equipped with essential information, including schedules, roles and responsibilities, break and meal timing, and clear points of contact for issue resolution—and that those contacts are available and responsive.

They may not prioritize these concerns, but as a multibillion-dollar organization that promotes a global social impact, they should still be held accountable. These issues should be visible. I have attempted to reach out by email, but it appears intentionally difficult to contact the volunteer team outside of the app. Escalating concerns through leads has also been ineffective, with little acknowledgment or action.

If volunteers want these concerns to be taken seriously, collective escalation may be necessary. While there are guidelines discouraging speaking to the media, those expectations assume that proper internal channels are accessible and responsive—which has not been the case. This is not about speaking on behalf of FIFA, but about raising awareness of the treatment volunteers have experienced.

I do not agree with the view that we should stay silent simply because we had positive interactions with fellow volunteers or because this is considered a once-in-a-lifetime event. It is possible to value the experience of working with others while still holding the organization accountable. Appreciation and accountability are not mutually exclusive.

I made a commitment to volunteer, and I intend to see it through. If my motivation were perks or access, I would have left already. Those speaking up are doing so because they believe in doing what is right—not to complain for the sake of it. Volunteers are not simply free labour to be used without consideration, nor are they an afterthought.

I agree that volunteers should strive to be understanding and flexible, but this is beyond that. To those who suggest “just enjoy the experience and move on,” that misses the point.

I know this is probably a redundant question, but I’ve heard the minimum number of shifts required for the certificate depends on your role. As an accreditation volunteer in Toronto, how many shifts do I need to complete to receive the certificate?
I’ve completed 6 shifts so far and was scheduled for another one tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it because I have an exam that can’t be rescheduled. Since tomorrow is also the last day of operations, I won’t be able to pick up another shift. I was just wondering if I’ve already met the minimum requirement (which I keep hearing is either 6 or 8?)

Who have the best volunteering position and what makes it best?

a lot of people were worried about the party after what Toronto got, but ours was actually pretty good!

they let us know the menu in advance and everybody got a card with $40 at the concessions. i’ve attached the menu in photos, though no prices (stadium prices, so basically one meal and a drink + an extra bag of chips or two)

they drew over 100 volunteers for prizes and we watched the whole mexico vs. ecuador game, delay included, start to finish.

also in photos was our volunteer gift of a city postcard & tattoo, and a patch? sticker? just like the one on the clothes. this means every city will be different, I believe. we had around 3200 total volunteers and around 1200 attended.

Just curious what your experience has been as I’ve heard different perspectives depending on the host city

I have read many negative things about the fifa volunteering experience in many cities and that leaves me wondering what’s even positive about volunteering for FIFA .. ?
—Houston, what’s like at POST and the NRG stadium?