FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: The Volunteers

But this World Cup is about more than just the players. Thousands of people have been working hard behind the scenes to pull this tournament together, including over 20,000 volunteers from over 160 countries ready to play their part in the biggest sporting event on earth.

For Doha residents, many volunteers want to give something back to the country they call home, as Gheorge Grigorean explains.

"I've been here in Qatar for 15 years. I've been the one benefitting from the authentic hospitality that Qatar has to offer, and now I am in a position where I can give to others what has been given to me."

Rufaro Makambira-Chindalo is also looking forward to welcoming hundreds of volunteers from other countries.

"I get to know a lot more about people of other nationalities, and they get to learn about me. So, I've really made friends through volunteering, and a lot of those friends are like family now."

For many volunteers, this is a huge opportunity to see some of the world's elite footballers in the flesh for the first time. Fans of the Champions League and Europa League regularly see the top players travel around the continent to play in Europe's biggest competitions.

But for football fans in the Middle East and across large parts of Asia, watching players such as Ronaldo, Messi and Mbappe in person is a huge novelty and, in some cases, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"For me, this is a unique experience," explains volunteer Muhamed Shahid. "I don't know if I'll get to volunteer at another World Cup, and this way, I can see dream players like Messi and Neymar."

Once volunteers sign up, they wait to find out which department they will be assigned. It's then the hard work starts. An extensive training programme began earlier in the