They all rooted for their colleagues

Colleagues became friendsDuring her time in Brazil, Kiana mostly spoke Portuguese, English and German, her mother tongue. She even managed to answer the odd question in Spanish and, if the language barrier was too great, hands and feet came into play, she told us Fifa Coins with a grin.Born to a German father and a Brazilian mother, football's showpiece event in South America really was something special for Kiana.

Outgoing, friendly and multicultural  she embodied the all the attributes required by a good volunteer. During the tournament, Kiana and her two Mexican colleagues, Oscar and Emiliano, lived with her grandmother in Leblon, one of Rio's more affluent neighbourhoods. In total, 7.42 per cent of World Cup volunteers came from outside Brazil, with Kiana one of 352 from Germany.Almost half of all the volunteers were between 18 and 25  in Kiana's age bracket. On the rare occasions when there were no matches, she usually met up with colleagues for barbecues and other activities, and quickly became good friends with her co-workers.

They all rooted for their colleagues' countries of origin, celebrated with each other when a goal was scored and consoled one another when their nation was knocked out of the tournament. I was really sad when Mexico were eliminated, she said. I felt the pain of my two Mexican friends.Feelings of joy and sorrow went hand in hand on one day in Fifa 17 Coins  particular. Wearing a Germany shirt and clutching a Brazil flag, Kiana left the house to watch the hosts play her country of birth in the semi-final. She had painted a Germany flag onto Emiliano's face, while her grandmother had painted Brazil's colours onto Oscar's.