Dallas unveiled its FIFA World Cup 26™ Volunteer Center on Tuesday at Fair Park’s Food & Fiber Pavilion, marking a major milestone in preparations for the global soccer tournament.
The 25,000-square-foot facility will train and coordinate over 6,000 volunteers who will help run North America’s biggest sporting event when it arrives in summer 2026.
Monica Paul, president of the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee, joined Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert and other officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new center.
The facility will serve as the central hub for volunteer operations throughout the tournament.
Dallas expects 15,000 applicants to attend in-person tryouts at the pavilion in the coming weeks. The city needs a total of 6,100 volunteers — the second-largest volunteer pool among host cities.
Selected volunteers will fill roles ranging from accreditation and ceremonies to fan operations and language services. The center will also educate participants about World Cup history and Dallas’ role in the 2026 tournament.
Volunteer assignments will be distributed between January and March 2026. The positions include host city ambassadors, guest services, and various operational support roles throughout the multi-week tournament.
The volunteer center opening represents Dallas’s latest step in preparing to host World Cup matches. The tournament returns to North America for the first time since 1994.