Inspirational Story of Angelia Hutabarat Becoming a 2026 World Cup Volunteer

Behind the grandeur of the FIFA World Cup 2026 hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, thousands of volunteers work to ensure every single detail of the tournament runs smoothly. One of these volunteers is Angelia Hutabarat, an Indonesian citizen who has been residing in Mexico for nearly a decade.

Angel's journey to join the world's biggest Football event was far from easy. At one point, she even believed her dream of becoming a FIFA World Cup 2026 volunteer had ended before it ever properly began.

Throughout the selection process, Angel waited endlessly for updates that never arrived. The first round announcement that was scheduled for February 2026 never appeared in her email inbox.

“That announcement should have arrived by February 2026, but I still hadn't received anything at that point,” stated the Indonesian national who has lived in Mexico for around 10 years.

With no communication received, Angel assumed she had failed the selection process. She returned to her daily routine working as an employee at a Mexico City based company.

However, hope was reignited in March 2026. An unexpected email from FIFA arrived on her device, and everything changed after that.

“Thank God, it turned out the email confirmed I had been accepted as a FIFA World Cup 2026 volunteer assigned to Mexico City,” Angel said.

In the official notification, FIFA appointed her as a VIP Guest Services Officer at one of the major official tournament hotels in Mexico City.

According to Angel, approximately one million people globally applied for the volunteer programme, while tens of thousands registered specifically for positions within Mexico.

The first selection stage launched in September 2025, where applicants submitted required documents, completed personal profiles, verified language proficiencies and listed prior volunteer experience. From all applicants, only around 15,000 candidates in Mexico advanced to the interview stage held in October 2025.

“Originally I had hoped to be assigned on-site at Estadio Ciudad de Mexico, the Azteca Stadium,” Angel explained.

That request was not granted. Instead, FIFA offered her the VIP guest services role at the official tournament hotel. Though she felt initial disappointment, she ultimately accepted the opportunity.

“I was a little let down at first, but in the end I took the position,” she recalled.

This decision ended up granting her priceless experiences. Angel got the chance to interact directly with multiple world Football Legends who attended the opening of the 2026 World Cup.

She met iconic figures including Bebeto, Cafu, Ronaldo Nazario, Marco Materazzi, Roberto Baggio, Luis Hernandez, Jared Borgetti, Santiago Solari, Hristo Stoichkov, Cristian Chivu and Alfie Haaland during her duties.

Beyond football legends, Angel also had the opportunity to meet legendary Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who performed at the 2026 World Cup opening ceremony held at Estadio Azteca.

Alongside these unforgettable memories and new professional connections, Angel also received exclusive official FIFA World Cup 2026 volunteer kit.

“This merchandise is very exclusive, it is not sold publicly anywhere,” she added.

Behind Angel's success stood full support from her family. Notably, both of her parents had also applied for the same volunteer programme. Her mother did not pass selection, while her father cleared the initial stage but missed the deadline for follow-up requirements.

"Our whole family really loves doing volunteer work like this. Before this, all of us also volunteered at an international Golf Tournament held in Mexico," Angel shared.

For her, volunteering is never just about assisting event operations. The experiences gained broaden one's perspective, and become valuable lifelong assets.