Alright so today I figured I’d try something new – buying World Cup tickets. I mean, I’ve always just watched on TV, but this time I thought, why not actually go? Sounds simple, right? Yeah, not so much.
Starting the hunt
First thing I did was open up my laptop and just search “World Cup tickets.” I expected one official site, maybe a clear “buy now” button. Instead, I got like ten different sites all looking kinda official but not really. FIFA’s actual site was there, but it wasn’t the first result. That should’ve been my first clue that this was gonna be messy.
I clicked on the FIFA site. The page loaded slow, which was annoying. Then I had to find the ticketing section. It wasn’t on the main menu. I had to scroll down and click on some small text that said “Tickets.” Not exactly user-friendly.
Creating an account (the first hurdle)
So obviously, I needed an account. I clicked “Register.” The form was long. They wanted my full name, country, date of birth, even my passport number. I didn’t have my passport nearby, so I had to get up and go find it. This was already taking more time than I thought.
After filling everything out, I had to verify my email. I clicked the link, and then… the site said my account was “pending approval.” I’m thinking, approval for what? It’s just a ticketing account. I had to wait like an hour before I got an email saying I was good to go.
The sale date chaos
Here’s the big thing I learned: tickets don’t just go on sale one day. There are phases. I found this “Ticketing Schedule” page. It was confusing.
- First was a “Random Selection Draw” phase. You had to apply for tickets before a certain date, like you’re entering a lottery. If you got picked, then you could buy. I missed this phase entirely because I started too late.
- Then came the “First-Come-First-Served” sale. This was the one I aimed for. I marked the date and time on my calendar.
On the sale day, I logged in 15 minutes early. The site had a waiting room. I sat in that digital line for about 45 minutes, just watching a progress bar move slowly. My internet chose that moment to get a little shaky, and I was sweating, thinking I’d get kicked out.
Actually trying to buy tickets
Finally, I got in. I had to select the match, then the category of tickets. The categories were named weirdly – Category 1, 2, 3, not like “Premium” or “Standard.” I had to click on each to see the price and where the seats were roughly. The seat map wasn’t a detailed map; it was just a stadium diagram with colored blocks.
I picked a match and a category. I clicked “Add to Cart.” The site froze for a second. I panicked, but it eventually worked. Then I had to go to my cart. The timer was on – I had like 10 minutes to check out.
I entered my payment info. Credit card only. No PayPal, which I usually prefer. I hit “Pay,” and it processed for what felt like forever. Then… success! I got a confirmation screen and an email right away.
So, what’s the deal?
It’s not like buying movie tickets. It’s a whole process. You gotta be prepared for:
- Lots of info upfront
- Weird timing and phases
- Potential website slowness
- Limited payment options
Would I do it again? Yeah, probably. But next time I’ll know to start way, way earlier and have all my documents ready on the desk. It’s a mission, but if you want to be there, you gotta go through it.