A total of 5 998 people have applied to be FIFA volunteers in Cape Town during the Final Draw in December 2009 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in June next year.

During the six week period that the application period was open, 67 999 people from 170 countries applied to volunteer across South Africa during the World Cup. Only about 15 000 volunteers will be required.

Johannesburg received the most volunteer applications (16 280) given that it has two stadiums, and will host the opening and closing matches. Tshwane/Pretoria, Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth followed with 8 496 and 7 265 applications respectively.

While most of the applications came from South Africans, Nigeria produced the highest number of foreign applications, with 750. There were 554 applications from the USA, 489 from Brazil, and 449 from Zimbabwe.

The number of applications received far exceeds the 48 167 applications received in Germany ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, FIFA said.

Volunteer applicants have to be able to offer their time and services free of charge to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Organising Committee and official host cities.

Most of the applications were to provide administrative support for the tournament, in areas such as hospitality, ushering, Fan Park services, transport, logistics and accreditation.

There was also a request for specialist volunteers, such as those with special language, media or information technology and telecommunications skills. Eighty-three applicants applied to work in sign language support, to help the hearing impaired.

The applicants will now be screened, with the interview process starting in December. Foreign volunteers will be interviewed by teleconference.

The successful applicants will then be trained in their respective fields before the tournament starts in June 2010.