Meet the FIFA Volunteers who’ll make Qatar 2022 happen

With a compact surface area of 11,000km2, Qatar is the smallest nation ever to host a World Cup. And it has enlisted 20,000 football fans from all over the world to help it do so.

Volunteers who will be working in hotels, hospitals, airports and of course the stadiums themselves to provide vital support during the tournament. So what motivates them?

"It's all about the passion - passion in football and passion in volunteering," says Muhammed Shahid.

"I just wanted to get new experiences," says Ahmed Showair.

"As a passionate football fan as well, for me, it's a golden opportunity for me," says Zeeshan Shafi

Thousands of volunteers from 160 nationalities ranging in age from 18 to 77. They started out as strangers. Now though, many have developed a friendship that goes far beyond the tournament.

"I really get along with my fellow volunteers," says volunteer Rufaro Makambira-Chindalo. "You know, it's like a family. When you are volunteering, when you are meeting them it’s like one big happy family, and it's like a melting pot because we are all from different and diverse cultures. That's the beauty of it. So we've all blended beautifully. We accept each other's differences and cultures. And now I get to know a lot more about people of different nationalities, and they also get to know about me."

For the volunteers, it really has been quite a journey. More than half a million people applied to take part, and they all went through a rigorous selection process: after initial applications, there were trials, then interviews and finally, online and in-person training.

That in-person training started at the Volunteers Hub. With a clubhouse atmosphere and plenty of classroom space, this is where trainers and team members teach up to 750