viral uniform – Juan Guanuna, 67, didn’t plan to volunteer for the FIFA World Cup. But after an email warned the signup deadline was the last day, he applied—and later ended up greeting arrivals at Newark Airport. His family’s surprise with his official uniforms turned into a
When Juan Guanuna drove into Newark Airport for his first shift, he expected a routine job: helping travelers find taxis and pointing people in the right direction. What he didn’t expect was to be recognized.
He had arrived for the World Cup volunteer assignment with a simple goal—greet people with a smile and make them feel welcome. But that day, after he parked his car, people approached him and wanted photos. Later, he heard Ecuador chants inside an airport restaurant—“Ecuador!. Ecuador!”—and he chanted back.
For a 67-year-old volunteer who grew up in a small town outside Quito, being here still feels like a dream he didn’t know he could live.
Juan Guanuna remembers his beginnings in Ecuador, in Aloag, where he watched his father play soccer every Sunday. As a kid, that was where his passion started. As he got older, he competed and was selected to represent his school for six years, continuing until he graduated.
He came to the United States in 1977 and lived in California at first. There, for two years, he created and coached a team for his local church. In 1993, he moved to the East Coast and stepped back from coaching or playing.
Volunteering for the FIFA World Cup wasn’t something he had planned. The turning point arrived “Last October. ” when he opened his computer to do paperwork and saw an email pop up warning that it was the last day to sign up as a volunteer. He filled out the application immediately, and he said it took him about 30 minutes.
He still sounds surprised by how quickly it changed his life. “If I hadn’t opened my computer that night, none of this would have happened,” he said, describing it as “a blessing from God.”
The invitation came on October 16, when he was invited to the tryouts. When he arrived, he said he was so excited. After an interview, he was told he was probably going to be working at MetLife Stadium. He imagined being a FIFA volunteer at the World Cup. experiencing the World Cup final. and possibly meeting and seeing actual players.
That outcome didn’t happen. In February, he was given the chance to volunteer at Newark Airport instead, and he accepted.
The uniforms arrived on May 23. He picked them up as an official FIFA volunteer and didn’t tell his daughter or his son at first. About a week and a half later, he invited them home for a barbecue, then surprised them. When they came, he told them he had the uniforms, brought them downstairs, and said, “Here they are, look!”.
His daughter—an influencer—filmed him trying on the uniforms and posted the video on Instagram. Guanuna said the clip got over 3 million views, and that everything visible came “directly from my heart.” He also emphasized he didn’t even know she had filmed him.
Sharing that moment with his children, he said, made it feel even more real—another dream fulfilled, this time not just watching soccer, but contributing to it.
By the time he started volunteering in person, the job was clear and steady: each week, he goes to Newark Airport for two days from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. His work is focused on greeting people at arrivals. If travelers need help finding taxis or figuring out where to go, volunteers are there to assist.
He said he loves greeting people with his familiar line—“Hello, hello! Welcome to New Jersey!”—and watching them laugh.
As a volunteer, he receives uniforms and food, and he is compensated for transportation to the airport. Newark Airport has three stations, with two people working at each station during the morning or afternoon shift.
Because he owns his business—J & G Technical Services, a general machine shop—he chose to volunteer during afternoon shifts, when he can usually leave work.
He also said being a FIFA volunteer is “priceless.” The fact that volunteers don’t get paid doesn’t bother him at all. “Just being a volunteer is more than enough reward,” he said.
Recognition arrived quickly, and not only from people he met directly. Guanuna said that his first day at the airport also included unexpected attention tied to the uniform video. People wanted photos with him. and inside the airport restaurant. patrons chanted for Ecuador—something he had not been prepared for.
He also described what it felt like when the restaurant owner told the waiters to “Make sure you take good care of this gentleman. He’s the one from the video.” For him, that attention wasn’t just flattering—it felt like validation for something deeply personal.
He said he is grateful to FIFA for accepting his application out of more than a million other people. In his telling, it has become a source of excitement, happiness, and pride, and he believes his volunteer record in the United States helped him earn the opportunity.
Last Thursday, the sense of being noticed turned into something more intimate. When he arrived home, he found a box with his name on it. He realized it was a package FIFA had sent him personally after other volunteers told him they hadn’t received anything.
Inside, he said there was a card saying they had seen the video and loved his energy and enthusiasm. FIFA sent him a few gifts, but what meant the most were handwritten messages from different people on the FIFA volunteer management team.
Those notes, he said, will become one of the most cherished memories of his life, and he plans to show them to his grandchildren when he is older—especially the letter.
As the tournament continues, he said he will root for all of the South American teams: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Colombia, and Uruguay. He also plans to see the game between Ecuador and Germany in person to cheer on Ecuador.
He admitted there is one dream still unfinished: he would have loved to go see the final. “That would complete my dream,” he said.
For now, his version of the World Cup is unfolding in shifts at Newark Airport—two days a week from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.—with the same message he repeats while greeting travelers.
It feels like a dream, he said, but he’s living it as his reality.
FIFA World Cup volunteer Juan Guanuna Newark Airport MetLife Stadium Ecuador soccer J &G Technical Services World Cup tryouts volunteer uniforms Instagram video