A World Cup journey full circle

Yet what stayed with him most was not only the action on the pitch, but also the connections he formed with people from around the world.

Chen befriended fellow volunteers from Jordan, Egypt, South Korea and Ghana. One of them, Nathan, a local volunteer from nearby Raymore, gave Chen a scarf from his hometown after learning that he had come all the way from China to serve at the tournament.

"He couldn't believe someone would travel halfway around the world just to help make the World Cup happen," Chen said. "But that's exactly what made it meaningful."

Another encounter brought Chen's journey full circle.

After one match, a group of Colombian fans approached him for directions. Chen showed them how to navigate the public transportation system and gave them commemorative pins.

Years earlier in Russia, Chen had been the young visitor in an unfamiliar country, relying on strangers for help. Now, in Kansas City, he had become the volunteer helping others find their way.

"I am from China and they are from Colombia. Yet there we were, united by soccer and a simple act of kindness," Chen said.

In Canada, fellow Chinese volunteer Wang Man found a similar sense of meaning through human connections.

"This was my first time volunteering at a major international event," Wang said. She had initially signed up simply to challenge herself and step outside her comfort zone, but what surprised her most was how meaningful the relationships with other volunteers became.

"People from different countries, cultures and walks of life came together because of soccer," she said. Every day, they worked side by side, chatted with one another and guided fans through the venue.

"I'll cherish those days of running around in our volunteer uniforms for a long time," she said.

For Chen, those encounters reinforced a belief he had long held.

"I've always believed sports aren't merely about winning or losing; they're about bringing people closer," he said.

The experience also reshaped Chen's career aspirations, steering him toward more people-centered work.

"I realized how much I value the human side of things — the conversations, the interactions, and those small moments when you offer someone help and see their face light up," he said.

The World Cup journey that began eight years earlier, when Chen was a young spectator in Russia, ultimately became something much more personal: a chance to offer others the kind of help he had once received himself.

"This might be a once-in-a-lifetime journey," he said. "What I'm taking home is the confidence that I can step up anywhere in the world and make a meaningful contribution, as well as a stronger belief that sports have the power to make the world more connected."