Volunteer Programme applications to close

Prospective volunteers for the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ have until Friday 21 September to make their applications. “We opened the application process three weeks ago and nearly 120,000 people have applied to sweat for the jersey with us,” said 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Organising Committee (LOC) Management Board member Bebeto. “With this response from the public I’ve got no doubts that we’ll have the very best volunteers for the national team, who’ll be doing their level best when all 32 sides enter the field of play.” As of this morning, 111,799 Brazilians and 6,418 people from the rest of the world had applied to the Programme, which includes the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013, the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil and the draws for the two events, which will be held in Sao Paulo and Costa do Sauipe respectively. Out of the total of 118,210 candidates, 97 percent registered to work at the FIFA World Cup and 77 percent at the FIFA Confederations Cup. A large number of people have also applied to work at the draws, with 65,304 registering for this December’s event at the Anhembi and 77,678 for next year’s in Bahia. Despite having reached the initial target of 90,000 applications within a mere eight days of the recruitment process starting, the LOC decided to extend the deadline to next Friday, exactly one month after it began. “We want to give everyone a chance to apply and make sure that we have volunteers of all different types: men and women and people from all social backgrounds and age groups, as well as disabled people,” said Bebeto’s fellow LOC Management Board member Ronaldo. A resident of Sao Paulo, the state that is home to the highest number of candidates (29,992), 51-year-old Rubens Jose da Silva has already made his application. A wheelchair user, he sees the Programme as an excellent opportunity to lend a helping hand. “I suffer from multiple sclerosis and I had to retire at a very early age as a result,” he said. “With my experience in logistics and communications, I want to make my contribution to ensure that this event brings the results that we Brazilians are hoping for.” FIFA