What would FIFA tournaments be without their numerous volunteers? Neither the FIFA World Cup™ nor any other major sporting event could be staged without the huge contributions from volunteers. They provide essential support in a wide range of areas, and at the same time create a fantastic atmosphere throughout the tournament thanks to their hard work, friendliness and joy.

On International Volunteer Day, FIFA is launching a centrally managed digital tool: the FIFA Volunteer Platform. This offers anyone interested in working as a volunteer at a FIFA tournament the chance to submit their registration. Not only does it house all the important information on upcoming FIFA events, it also offers the chance to get in touch with other volunteers.

Furthermore, the platform supports the application process for volunteer positions, facilitates the recording of time spent on volunteer work and introduces a certification system to ensure that volunteers receive global recognition for their efforts. It serves as a global community and aims to inspire people around the world to share their passion for football.

People like Albina Naskevich, who has already volunteered at a number of major tournaments. “The time I spent in St. Petersburg during the FIFA Confederations Cup was simply unbelievable,” she told FIFA.com. “I worked with a wonderful team of dedicated professionals who really inspired me and taught me a lot of new things. After that experience, I didn’t want to miss any tournaments or events that were nearby.

“The World Cup was a great event,” Naskevich continued. “I spent six crazy weeks in Moscow and I always get nostalgic when I look back at the pictures or Instagram stories from that time. To be honest, every time I’ve returned home from the tournaments I’ve had a smile of happiness on my face and tears of sadness in my eyes.”

Naskevich has always been interested in learning foreign languages, travelling and trying out new things, which is why she decided to become a volunteer in the first place. It is a decision the Belarus native has never regretted, and one which has given her some unforgettable memories.

“I’d say that the entire 2018 World Cup experience was very valuable to me. I was very lucky to be a part of this great tournament and to live through what I experienced there, surrounded by like-minded people who were as happy as I was. I love the team I worked with and I’m so happy that I met them. I can definitely say that there hasn’t been an event in my life that has in any way surpassed my experience as a FIFA Volunteer. I’ve never been more satisfied with what I do. And I’ve never loved anything as much as I loved what I was doing there.”

Naskevich’s words underline just how much her time as a volunteer has not only shaped her, but also changed her life for the positive. “I’d never thought about working in the sports industry,” she said. “But when I came back from the World Cup, I took a job on the Organising Committee of the European Games 2019 in Minsk. I worked there for almost a year. It was a great opportunity to use all the skills I had acquired as a volunteer. During the Games, a colleague and I even had a couple of volunteers supporting us - I couldn't believe that I had been a volunteer myself a year before. After the European Games, I took a job with a sports marketing agency and signed up for a masters in sports management, which I completed three months ago. My job is closely linked to football, which makes me all the happier.”

Enrique Valenzuela also has a close connection with football, having gained experience as a volunteer at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Paraguay 2019™. Valenzuela comes from Fernando de la Mora in Paraguay and usually works as a lawyer, specialising in sports law.

"It was wonderful in every regard," he told FIFA.com. "I had the opportunity to work with an incredible team of people, meet great individuals, welcome football legends and important figures in football, and learn from the inside how a big FIFA event is organised and managed. I made a lot of new friends at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and we still talk to each other even now, a year after the tournament. Football is also friendship."

Valenzuela had worked as a volunteer even before the Beach Soccer World Cup, helping in a variety of volunteer programmes. He places great value on giving something back to society and contributing to projects that are meaningful to him.

“At the Beach Soccer World Cup I found the perfect opportunity to dedicate my time and effort to football at a prestigious FIFA event, to work with a Paraguayan organisation and to promote my country's name as an organiser in the international sports community,” he said, explaining his motivation.

"As a volunteer, I’ve seen how people of different nationalities can work together in harmony when they organise a sports event and work towards a common goal. It made me love my job in the sports industry even more.”

Would you like to be a volunteer at a FIFA tournament? For further information, please click HERE.