Mississauga volunteer for FIFA World Cup in Toronto gets ‘amazing’ unsung hero award

The disabled 23-year-old woman says experience has made her feel 'like everybody else'

Published Jun 26, 2026  •  Last updated 16 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

She loves the way guests treat her Photo by FIFA

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Alessia Commisso was excited to be chosen a volunteer at the FIFA World Cup in Toronto given the entire country got 387,000 applications for 5,000 volunteer spots.

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Especially since the 23-year-old waited months to find out.

“I really love sports and I’m also in school (at Humber College) right now for event management and so I was just like I’ll try to apply for this and maybe I’ll put my learning and my love of sports into practice,” Commisso said.

“I was very nervous. I was excited at the same time. I kept refreshing my FIFA page every day. ‘Cause I felt like my interview went well ‘cause when I left my interview the person who had interviewed me was like, ‘You did a great job!’ So then the day I found out, I was so happy. Like I can’t believe it.”

“FIFA is like once in a lifetime,” she said. It’s not likely to be back in Toronto.”

But then once she got the volunteer spot in hospitality at Toronto Stadium (BMO Field) the Mississauga native, who is blind and uses a wheelchair due to a mitochondrial disease, was given one of FIFA’s Unsung Heroes Awards (at least one is named in each of the 16 host cities) along with tickets to last Tuesday’s Croatia-Panama game.

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“It was so amazing and special,” said Commisso, who’s been accompanied by her mother Sonia every step of the way as a volunteer due to her mobility and vision issues. “It was kind of a shock to me. I was like, ‘Oh, wow!'”

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Met and sat with FIFA President

After watching the first half of the Croatia-Panama game from the VIP lounge on the pitch just behind the Panama bench, Commisso and Sonia met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who they sat with in the VVIP lounge during the second half of the match.

“I’m beyond words at that point because it was just such a day,” Commisso said. “At that point, I didn’t even know what to say anymore. But it was amazing.”

Added Sonia: “He sat there and had a conversation with Alessia. I felt as if there was no one else in the room. Like he was focused on Alessia. There was a gentleness, a kindness, love and compassion, in that entire exchange where he started the conversation with, ‘Oh, my daughter’s name is Alessia as well.”

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Needless to say, from their volunteer perch in hospitality outside the stadium at Gate 2, the experience has certainly lived up to the mother and daughter’s expectations.

“Everyone throughout the day is, ‘Hello, Alessia! Hello Alessia!,'” Sonia said. “From a mother’s perspective, it’s so beautiful for me to see this.”

Added Commisso: “The FIFA staff when they speak to me, I know they’re speaking to me. They acknowledge me. Like, ‘Alessia do you need anything? Alessia, is everything okay?’ Usually I feel like ‘cause of my disability, people have a tendency to speak with my mother before they speak to me. So it makes me feel like I’m like everybody else.”

Added Sonia: “I just feel like the (guests) didn’t see her any different either. I love it because Alessia’s a human being just like everyone else, wanting to belong, wanting to be the same, but at the same time wanting to stand out. She’s standing out but blending in.”

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