Volunteers’ Motivations to Participate in the FIFA World Cup 2022: A Cross-National Study

Volunteering is an important functional area of major sport events that may have a long-lasting impact on supporting events in host nations both at the macro and local levels. Furthermore, volunteering in Qatar is an opportunity to build relationships between the locals and the residents' community. Thus, undertaking research to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence young people in Qatar (both citizens and residents, and males and females), to volunteer in general and in relation to the mega-sporting events such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup (FWC) in Qatar is critical. The study is significant in examining strategies to maintain volunteers' interest in the sporting event, how their volunteering experience can contribute to achieving a legacy and provide them opportunities to volunteer at other organizations and significant events in the future. It is therefore important to gain an understanding of the Qatari community and how to create an inclusive environment that fosters motivated and involved volunteers. Furthermore, engaged volunteers are happy to help their nation and the regions in which they live. This research study used semi-structured interviews comprising open-ended questions to understand the motivations of volunteers, based in Qatar, to participate in the 2022 FWC. Moreover, this study emphasizes comprehension of the pre-tournament assessment of goals and motivations of a group of young people, post-tournament feedback on lessons learned from the FIFA Arab Cup 2021, and long-term improvements for the FWC 2022 and Qatar. Additionally, it concerns the volunteering legacy for Qatar specifically, and the Arab region, more generally. This research findings determined what inspires young locals to volunteer, and consider their motivations, plans and experiences of volunteering. The study assisted in identifying factors that can contribute to creating a legacy of local volunteering for major sport events in Qatar on the path to 2022 and beyond.