Among more than 161,000 applications for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ Volunteer Programme, one stands out for a special reason. Sol Bastos has already taken part in the competition twice before – as a player, representing Brazil. Three decades after playing at the first two editions, in 1991 and 1995, Sol hopes to experience the atmosphere of a FIFA Women’s World Cup™ once again, this time as a volunteer in Salvador, one of the eight cities that will host the 2027 edition. When Sol found out about the opportunity through social media, she said it “sparked a desire” to see the tournament from a new perspective. “If I manage to be selected, it will be a very different experience. I’ve played in two (FIFA Women’s) World Cups and, looking back, I remember the people who guided and helped us during the tournament,” she said. “I’d see people providing information and helping with the organisation, but I had no idea of everything that went on behind the scenes. Today…..it would be something very special for me to help ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible.” People from 183 countries are hoping to volunteer and the total number of applicants comfortably surpasses the previous record of 68,000 who applied for the 2023 edition in Australia and New Zealand. Like Sol, the majority of applicants are Brazilian (83%) and women (58%). Around 6,000 will be selected for more than 30 different roles in areas such as media, technology, transport, competition management and ceremonies.

“I’d really like to work in the stadiums, watch the matches up close and meet the players,” said Sol. “It would be an exceptional experience to experience a (FIFA Women’s) World Cup in this way. Today I watch as an admirer, as a fan of the event and of everything that women’s football stands for. Being there to take part, even in a different way, would be an unforgettable experience. That’s why I tell people: make the most of this opportunity, because it’s something that will stay with you forever.” The growth of women’s football Born in Feira de Santana, in the state of Bahia, Sol came from a very humble family often felt unwell during street matches due to malnutrition. At one stage, she was invited to stay at the accommodation of local club Flamengo de Feira da Santana, but sadly the club was wound up when she was 16. She spent years playing football in impromptu street matches until she was recommended for a trial in Rio de Janeiro. Eurico Lira, president of Radar – a club that represented the Brazilian national team on several occasions in early international competitions – needed a young, tall defender. Sol passed the trial, but struggled during training due to her physical condition. She persevered, and just over a year later she was on the list of players set to compete in the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in China. She would go on to compete in Sweden four years later.

Today, she is moved by the scale of the FIFA Women’s World Cup – with 32 teams, over two million tickets sold and one billion viewers for the last edition. “The growth and development of women’s football has been phenomenal. Today, FIFA views women’s football in a way that provides players with ever-improving conditions. I would have loved to have spent part of my career with the infrastructure that exists today – the stadiums, the training sites, the support offered to national teams, the preparation time and everything that is made available for the players’ development,” she said. “ “The audience has grown, with record TV ratings and stadium attendance figures; more national teams have started competing in the tournament and the competition has expanded. For those of us who were there in the early days, seeing all this happening today is truly extraordinary.”

Today, Sol is an assistant coach with the EC Bahia women’s team who this year became the first from north-eastern Brazil to reach the semi-finals of the Brazilian women’s championship. In September, she was moved to see the stands at the Arena Fonte Nova packed with supporters cheering on the club. And she expects even larger crowds during the FIFA Women’s World Cup which will feature seven matches at the stadium. “Back when I was a player, it was just family and a few friends who came along. Today you see women, children and girls going to the stadium to watch the athletes, calling the players by name and supporting the team. I even get emotional talking about it, because I know I was part of building this up,” she said. “Seeing that whole crowd at the Fonte Nova supporting Bahia was spectacular. And I have no doubt that the people of Bahia will embrace the (FIFA Women’s) World Cup in the same way, because they love football, they love major events and they love a good party.”