By Matthew Cimitile, University Communications and Marketing
After waiting for about six hours in a virtual lottery queue, Joe Smillie began to accept he wasn’t going to get tickets to the FIFA World Cup. This was his fourth attempt to secure seats to see his beloved England play. Like many other soccer fans, his wait ended with him coming away empty-handed.
The much-coveted tickets are especially significant this year as it’s the first time since 1994 that the United States, alongside Canada and Mexico, will host the tournament.
“I’m originally from England. My dad and I watch every England World Cup and Euro Championship game — all the ups and downs,” said Smillie, an economics major on the USF St. Petersburg campus. “I remember 10 years ago hearing the announcement that the U.S. would host, and we said, ‘We have to go.’ Who knows if we will ever get an opportunity again to do this, a once-in-a-lifetime sort of thing.”
For nearly a year, Smillie chased that opportunity. He entered multiple FIFA ticket lotteries, trying to secure two tickets to any England match - each time to no avail. He tried again through a U.S. Soccer lottery. Still, no luck.
“We got on at 11 a.m. Six hours of waiting, just staring at a circle on the screen that wouldn’t budge,” he said, describing a scene all too familiar to anyone pursuing much-desired event tickets.
Undeterred, Smillie kept trying. If anything, the setbacks only sharpened the anticipation building across the USF community as the global event drew closer to its stateside debut.
Hosting the games
Greg Wolf will be hosting and energizing the crowds at the Mexico City World Cup venue for the next several weeks.
The World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, drawing an estimated five billion viewers globally. To put that into perspective, 125.6 million people reportedly watched the Super Bowl this year.
A portion of the live global audience will be entertained by USF alum Greg Wolf. Wolf, the longtime in-game host for USF Athletics and the Tampa Bay Lightning, will host five matches in Mexico City, covering the opening match through the quarterfinals.
In this role, Wolf engages the crowd, makes live announcements, interviews fans and celebrities, and hosts contests during breaks in the action to keep the stadium energized.
“As the in-game host for our Tampa Bay Sun Football Club, I felt pretty confident heading into the World Cup festivities, having a clear understanding about the ins and outs when it comes to the game of futbol,” Wolf said. “However, with such a monumental presentation for the opening ceremonies and the amount of moving parts with regards to production, it reminded me that in the world of live sports and entertainment, anything can change at any minute.”
Wolf has hosted live sporting events for more than 20 years, including taking part in multiple Stanley Cup finals. But getting the opportunity to show off his talents on the world stage is a memorable highlight in a career of them.
“Hosting the World Cup, the biggest stage on the planet, as a member of Team Tampa Bay and Bulls Nation is the biggest honor there is,” he said. “FIFA decided that Tampa had the energy they wanted to start the entire tournament. Can’t get better than that!”
Being part of the action
As a young girl growing up in Brazil, Fernanda Cabral (seated in a yellow jersey) watched World Cup matches with her family.
Growing up in Brazil, soccer has been rooted in Fernanda Cabral’s personal history and her nation’s passion for the sport.
“Soccer is a huge part of our culture,” said Cabral, a public health major. “My dad worked at a World Cup before and at the Olympics. These major, international sporting events have always been big in our family.”
Wanting to be part of the action, Cabral sought out volunteer opportunities to support the event behind the scenes. About a year ago, volunteer applications opened. She applied and was selected.
“I didn’t go into it expecting to get anything out of it, like networking or such,” she said. “It’s just the experience. Once in a lifetime.”
Volunteers are assigned a wide range of responsibilities. Cabral’s role will focus on supporting referees and match operations in Miami, which is hosting several World Cup games.
“The site will host all the refs from different countries,” she said. “They come here to get into physical shape for the games, and we also help with equipment, things like VAR setup, body cams, microphones, headsets.”
VAR — Video Assistant Referee — plays a crucial role in matches, allowing officials to review instant replay of close calls. Cabral will witness what goes into preparing and officiating such a major competition.
“I’m excited to just see how everything comes together,” she said. “It’s such a massive event, and to be even a small part of it is incredible.”
Tickets Captured
Tampa, FL. hosted a friendly match prior to the World Cup kicking off on June 11, 2026 at multiple locations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Like Cabral, soccer has long been a defining part of Smillie’s life. After moving to Florida at age five, he played soccer through middle school, and later refereed, coached and interned at a soccer academy. At USF St. Petersburg, he remains involved through the campus soccer club.
That passion kept Smillie trying for tickets. A couple weeks after waiting for seven hours, Smillie logged on to one of the last lotteries. This time, miraculously, he got through.
“I got two tickets for England versus Ghana for my dad and me,” Smillie said. “Then I was able to get two more in the next lottery I entered after being shut out for so long. It was unreal.”
The match, set for June 23 in Boston, will be Smillie’s first World Cup game. If England advances, he will attend a July 1 match in Atlanta.
He is looking forward to soak in every part of the experience, from fan festivals to the energy in the stadium. And hopefully after all that work, see his team win.
“They’ve had some of the best teams in recent tournaments,” he said. “I have high hopes, even though we tend to get let down.”