Man, let me tell ya about this World Cup ticket madness. I almost missed the whole dang thing ’cause I didn’t pay attention to the freaking dates. Figured I’d share my mess so maybe you won’t screw it up like I almost did.
First: Finding Out When This Whole Thing Started
Heard a rumor online that FIFA was opening registration soon. Didn’t think much of it at first – thought I could just rock up later like usual. Wrong! Dug a little deeper into FIFA’s site last week. Total headache navigation, felt like solving a puzzle. Finally found it buried under like five menus. Felt kinda stupid, honestly.
The absolute most important date slammed me right in the face:
- October 30, 2023: That’s the day they throw open the doors for you to register your interest. This ain’t buying tickets yet, mind you. It’s just yelling “Hey FIFA, I wanna buy some tickets later!”
Why Even Bother Registering This Early?
Almost skipped this step. Figured “Why bother signing up now for tickets next year? That’s crazy.” Turns out, I was the crazy one. Here’s why this “interest” crap matters:
- Lottery Luck: They said folks who register get first dibs when sales actually open later. Like, actual priority over people who didn’t register. Sounds like a lottery to me.
- Head Start: Getting any info emailed to me sounded better than finding out by accident on Twitter. Plus, they promised “exclusive access” later, whatever that means. FOMO kicked in hard.
The Actual Sign-Up Circus
Okay, convinced myself I needed to do this. Headed back to FIFA’s site around October 25th, wanted to be ready. Found the registration page – looked simple enough. Big button saying “Register Interest.” Clicked it.
Of course, it wasn’t that easy. Needed a FIFA ID. No clue what that was. Apparently, it’s just an account on their website. Spent like 10 minutes setting one up:
- Basic junk: Email, password (that had to be strong, what a pain).
- Personal details: Name, address, the usual.
- Security questions: “Mother’s maiden name?” Who even remembers that reliably?
Finally got the account made. Went back to the shiny “Register Interest” button. Clicked it again. More hoops! Had to opt-in for marketing emails (ugh, spam) and tick a box agreeing to their privacy policy (didn’t read that novel, nobody does). Hit submit…
BOOM. Got a confirmation email instantly. That was it? Felt almost too easy. But I was officially “interested.”
The Waiting Game (And My Buddy’s Facepalm Moment)
So now what? Just… wait. The registration opened October 30th, 2023, and they said sales phases would happen WAY later in 2024 and 2025. Feels like a lifetime away. But hey, at least I’m in the system.
Kicker? My buddy Alex heard me yapping about it yesterday. Went online to register himself. Guess what?
- Registration is STILL OPEN? Seriously? Yeah, he didn’t miss it! I thought it was a one-day thing on Oct 30th, but apparently FIFA’s just letting people pile in until… sometime later? They haven’t shut it down yet. Weird.
He signed up in five minutes flat. Almost felt stupid stressing so much about the exact date. Almost.
What I Wish I Knew Before I Started
Looking back, my advice is stupid simple:
- Get That FIFA ID NOW: Don’t wait. Make the stupid account. It takes minutes. Go do it while you’re thinking about it.
- “Register Interest” Means “Register Interest”: It’s NOT buying tickets. It’s just putting your name down for a CHANCE to buy them later. Don’t expect to pay anything yet.
- Prepare for Spam: They WILL email you. A lot. About everything. Sign up with an email you actually check, but maybe not your super important one.
- Dates Are Fuzzy: FIFA times are… vague. The Oct 30th thing was hyped, but honestly, sign-up seems open-ended now. Don’t panic if you missed the “launch” date. Just get on it soon!
Bottom line? Making the FIFA account and clicking the button took less effort than ordering pizza. It felt pointless at the time, but now I feel a bit smug knowing I might actually get a shot at tickets because I did that tiny bit of work. At least I didn’t end up like Alex, scrambling late! Don’t be Alex.