Whisper it quietly: FIFA World Cup 2026™ Unsung Hero Alessia Commisso has always been more of a basketball fan. But her beloved Toronto Raptors now have a new challenger for her sporting affections with the FIFA World Cup 2026 taking over her home town.

“It's very electric,” she says of the matchday atmosphere at the Toronto Stadium where Alessia is also a FIFA World Cup™ Volunteer. “Being here with all the fans, everybody's here to support their team. Everybody's dressed up, having drums, coming out with different chants. And it's just so exciting to see all the different ways people go out to support their team, because everybody supports the team in a different way. So, it's an amazing thing to experience. And as someone with a vision impairment, I just pick up the auditory cues, and you just hear everything and all the excitement and buzz in the air is just so great.”

A wheelchair user due to a mitochondrial disease that also caused her to lose her sight in her mid-teens, Alessia faces daily challenges. But they do not stop – or even slow down – the radiant 23-year-old, whose experience volunteering at matches staged in Toronto, Canada, has been enriching on so many levels.

“On matchdays, I've been guiding people if they need help finding anything, their gates, if they want the FIFA Store or if they're just looking for anything, I'm here to guide them and give them a hand for whatever they're looking for,” explained the Event Management student.

“Being able to volunteer with FIFA, I was like, ‘Oh, well, perfect. This is an event’. So, to be able to be here, I thought it was a perfect opportunity for me to volunteer. And since I love sports, I was like, ‘Between my event management background and my love of sports, let’s give it a shot!’”

Alongside her mother, Sonia, and lifelong friend Anna Polack, Alessia has been the stand-out smiling face of a FIFA Volunteer Team defined by its can-do attitude.

“It’s been amazing having Alessia. We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds, all ages, all stages of life, football fans, not football fans. We’re so happy when people come over and they really get to see some of the behind-the-scenes, especially as she’s studying Event Management. It’s so, so cool,” said Sarah Charnock, Toronto Stadium’s Volunteer Manager who oversees the efforts of some 2,500 people as they keep the tournament ticking in a host of roles around the venue and across the city.

“We’ve got a number of different volunteers who have different accessibility needs. With us here at FIFA, it’s about what can you do, as opposed to what can’t you do, and where can we meet you to make it as accessible as we possibly can.”

The opportunity to be involved, to contribute, is important to Alessia.

“Being at a FIFA game is a once-in-a-lifetime (experience),” she said. “So being here was very special and unique. I feel like everybody in sport is united. And so no matter the fact that I'm in a wheelchair or I have a vision impairment, it makes me feel no different. Sports just unites, so being able to be actually part of something I love, which is sports, is just an amazing thing that I've been able to be a part of now.”

Alessia was also carrying out her duties at the Group L game between Croatia and Panama when her efforts were formally recognised. As Toronto’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Unsung Hero, she received an invitation to follow the fans she had been directing to their seats to experience the game from pitchside for herself.

She was joined by her mother as they met other VVIP attendees, notably Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Canada’s Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“Alessia is invincible, and she faces a number of challenges in her everyday life, but she meets them with a smile – just as she greets and helps fans coming to see the FIFA World Cup in this fantastic city,” said Mr Infantino as he chatted with Alessia, presenting her with a miniature FIFA World Cup replica trophy and an official FIFA World Cup 2026 adidas Trionda Match Ball.

“Alessia’s smile is our sunshine. She embodies all the qualities that make our Volunteers the true heartbeat of the tournament: intelligence, flexibility, and a tireless desire for people to enjoy the greatest show on the planet. Thank you!” the FIFA President added.

“I don’t even have words,” said a stunned Alessia as she reflected on what her mum called a “10+” day. “It was such a big thing. They seemed so happy to see me. I just see myself as someone normal, on the streets, getting through my day-to-day.”

Sonia added: “It was humbling. Alessia has such a good heart and such good life experience, and through all of her challenges, she always rises above it. She doesn’t let any of that hold her down and this is what happens. She gets to have a conversation with the FIFA President, the Prime Minister of Croatia and the Finance Minister of Canada and leaving us with all of these gifts. Incredibly amazing.”

While every volunteer deserves recognition – and will be celebrated throughout the tournament – some individuals have stories that are truly extraordinary. FIFA launched the FIFA World Cup 2026 Unsung Heroes project to recognise their courage, selflessness and determination as they go above and beyond and inspire everyone around them. They are the tournament's ultimate Unsung Heroes.