‘The World Cup is actually coming:’ FIFA Philly 26 opens doors to new volunteer hub in the Fashion District

On Wednesday, Philadelphia Soccer 2026, in conjunction with city officials, held a grand opening for its World Cup 26 volunteer center inside the Fashion District.

The center will serve as headquarters for an anticipated 3,500 volunteers during the World Cup. Applications have closed, and officials estimate that over 26,000 people will be screened at the center before potentially being selected and trained to volunteer.

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Alison Grove, the senior director of strategy, operations, and partnerships for Philadelphia Soccer 2026, believes the center is the first step toward preparing for six World Cup matches scheduled to take place at Lincoln Financial Field, bringing an estimated 500,000 soccer fans into the city.

“This is the first tangible sign that the World Cup is actually coming,” Grove said. “This is the beginning. It all starts here today.”

The “clubhouse” of the volunteer hub featured Teqball tables — a popular mixture of soccer and table tennis — and a FIFA World Cup museum. On Wednesday, it also hosted mascots like Swoop and Gritty to greet over 100 attendees.

During opening remarks, Michael Newmuis, the city’s 2026 director appointed by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, and FIFA executive Amy Hopfinger discussed Philadelphia’s plans for a jam-packed 2026.

“This will be a monumental year for our great city,” Newmuis said. “We’re celebrating America’s 250th birthday. We’re hosting the MLB All-Star game. The NCAA Tournament is coming to our town, the PGA Championship, and right in the middle of it all, the FIFA World Cup. The biggest sporting event on the planet is coming to our city, Philadelphia.”

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As a whole, FIFA plans to enlist 65,000 volunteers throughout Canada, the United States, and Mexico, with centers across each of the 16 host cities.

“The incredible volunteers that will soon be the heartbeat of Philadelphia’s experience, the residents who open their hearts and their city, that’s what’s going to make the World Cup so special,” Newmuis said. “Not just the matches, but the thousands of volunteers who will greet visitors, answer questions, share directions, and show the world what Philadelphia is all about.”

Greg Spicka, a FIFA volunteer working Wednesday’s event and a previous volunteer for this summer’s Club World Cup, says volunteering for FIFA gives him fulfillment.

“I grew up on the ‘give back to your community’ kind of deal,” Spicka said. “I love being around sports. I love being around people who are passionate about sports, with a lot of what we’re doing being volunteering. It drives the sense of community that FIFA is looking for.”

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Outside of the product on the pitch, Grove and Newmuis stressed the importance of giving back to the Philadelphia community.

With the World Cup estimated to bring in over $770 million to the region, according to Philadelphia Soccer 2026, organizers are focused on working with local businesses and neighborhoods to provide a positive impact.

“We’re going to have a spectacular new park at Lemon Hill,” Grove said. “We’re going to have new places to play and people to teach kids how to play soccer across the city and across the region. We have a 26 for 26 program that has been met with resounding enthusiasm and success, because soccer really should be the most accessible game in the world.”

In a press release before the grand opening, Philadelphia Soccer 2026 also wrote that the volunteer center represents a “commitment to community investment and the ongoing revitalization of East Market Street” in reference to the Fashion District’s struggling financials.

“We knew that this would bring in 26,000 people through these doors,” Grove said. “We wanted to make sure that [the location] itself would have an impact. Fashion District here on East Market is an incredibly important corridor in the city that needs a little bit of help, and that could use a little bit of activation and revitalization. Our hope is to be a catalyst for that.”

President Donald Trump has recently threatened to move games from host cities he deems dangerous, like San Francisco, Seattle, and Boston, despite having no official power to do so.

With Philadelphia being only the second city to establish a physical volunteer center behind the New York/New Jersey metro corridor, organizers are not worried about the impact the president may have on both Philadelphia’s and FIFA’s plans.

“All of the host cities are struggling with that,” Grove said in reference to Trump. “But what we’re really focused on is making sure there’s a good experience, a good, easy-to-follow experience from day one, a welcoming experience as a volunteer and then subsequently as a visitor.”

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