NAVSUP FLC Jacksonville Sailor shares experience as a 2026 FIFA World Cup volunteer

As more than 1.5 billion people watched the 2026 FIFA World Cup on television and in stadiums across North America, one Sailor assigned to Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Jacksonville had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the world's largest soccer tournament from a different perspective—as a volunteer.

Lt. Cmdr. Alejandro Lowe, NAVSUP FLC Jacksonville site director for Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, was one of 5,000 volunteers selected from more than 33,000 applicants to support World Cup activities in Dallas.

“There were nine matches played in Dallas—the most of all host cities,” Lowe said. “I worked during liberty periods on the days with the Japan vs. Netherlands and Jordan vs. Argentina matches. The other days I directed fans to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Dallas Fan Festival hosted at Fair Park where they’d watch matches in other host cities on jumbotrons.”

Lowe served as a host city ambassador - transport volunteer, a role that allowed him to draw on his professional experience in logistics and his ability to communicate in both English and Spanish. He assisted fans navigating the two primary public transit systems serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area as they traveled to and from the matches.

“Despite not being selected to be in the stadium, ceremonies, or other flashy roles, I enjoyed the experience for what it was,” Lowe said. “A twice-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of the world's largest and most popular competition, which has been a part of my life since when I lived in Monterrey, Mexico as a child and Mexico was the FIFA World Cup host country.”

For Lowe, the 2026 tournament marked his second opportunity to participate in a FIFA World Cup.

“I grew up playing and loving soccer,” Lowe said. “At 16, I was also in the opening ceremonies for the 1994 World Cup here in Dallas when games were played at the Cotton Bowl. I was part of the team that waved the huge Colombia flag overhead.”

Lowe said one of the highlights of volunteering at the 2026 World Cup was meeting fans from around the world and sharing the experience with his family.

“I partook in the Dallas Fan Festival with my family, and I got to be on the pitch at Dallas Stadium the day after Spain's defeat of France in the semifinal,” he said.

For Lowe, the opportunity to volunteer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup brought together his lifelong passion for soccer, his connection to the international community, and his professional experience in logistics and public service, creating another memorable chapter in a relationship with the world's game that began more than 40 years ago.