World Cup volunteers honoured on special day

A number of volunteer workers at the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar gathered on Monday (Dec. 5) at Doha's Volunteer Hub.

The event was held on 5th December to mark International Volunteer Day.

20,000 volunteers are participating in the 22nd FIFA World Cup, which has brought support in 45 functional areas across more than 30 different roles.

The World Cup Qatar 2022 Volunteer Programme has set a record for applicants for the tournament, with more than 420,000 registrations received from over 209 different nationalities. 

Zimbabwean Kundai Chindalo is among the happy few and he will not forget his experience anytime soon: "I have met some legends, like Yaya Toure and also Samuel Eto'o. I had the chance to see those guys," he said. 

"I also got the chance to watch some games, because I am (volunteering) in spectator services. I got to watch some football matches - seeing (Argentina's) Lionel Messi playing live, it was amazing."

Interviews to recruit volunteers were conducted by approximately 500 'Ruwaad Pioneers' - the long-term volunteers who have actively supported FIFA tournaments organised in Qatar - such as the FIFA Club World Cup in 2020 and the FIFA Arab Cup in 2021.