Walk through the desert of World Cup ticketing

I am one of millions of people who have tried to get tickets for the World Cup. And this is just the people with sufficient income who can hope to make it; the ticket prices effectively put 95% of the world's football fans from even consider going to the World Cup, and it seems understandable that Mexico's president, Ms. Claudia Scheinbaum, has announced that she will not attend the opening match, but give the ticket to an indigenous woman. 

In general I understand FIFA; they are non-profit organization, but want to make money from the tournament to better promote football for the fans... That said, considering the hundreds of millions that they make from sponsors and TV deals, would it not be better to do a more "democratic" ticketing system, that is both transparent, accessible for the majority of fans, and with price ceilings? It seems completely out of place that tickets for the final are being re-sold for 11000 USD!

Attending a World Cup football match is not for the common fan... 

I have managed to get one ticket for a match, through a friend who won the FIFA lottery, but otherwise was unable to get anything. A few days ago I logged on to FIFA to try to get leftover tickets (basically to any match in Mexico) but was left disappointed after five hours in line as only tickets to wheelchair users seemed to be available. At the same time FIFA says re-selling can only happen on FIFAs own platform (I have nevertheless not found this platform of people re-selling tickets), but one can buy tickets for almost any match at disgustingly high prices on platforms such as stubhub.mx or vividseats.com.

Why is this even possible...?

It is a sad state of affairs and it creates the massive distrust of FIFA, and accusations of greed and not being there for the fans. I do not think FIFA is like that, but there seems to be a problem with how they are managing this.

Trying to get World Cup tickets

Some people think that me living in Mexico makes it easier for me to find tickets for the coming World Cup. Not really; all normal fans, all over the world, are victims to the same FIFA ticketing mayhem that is already causing fan associations to complain.

I do not think it is surprising, as FIFA has for many years been accused of not considering the interests of the fans, and sadly this World Cup appears to confirming the accusation.

I have signed up for the tickets. The dynamic pricing is making them very expensive, and it is easy to argue that this is the nature of market mechanisms, and with an open reselling platform that allows us to resell tickets at any price, it is bound only to increase prices, making it even more inaccessible for the vast majority of people... And FIFA taking up to 15% of reselling price...

I am critical, but admit that I have signed up, and I am hopeful and willing to pay some of the (lower) prices despite it being a large expense. But at the same I am already getting ticket offers from many other platforms, and wonder who is benefiting from these platforms who offer "ticket guarantee" at exaggerated prices, and that on top of this, hospitality tickets are being offered for free to rich elites who seem to be those who could afford the high prices...

While I am open to a policy of dynamic pricing and even grudgingly that FIFA takes its own (high) fee, I would rather question the lack of transparency and equal opportunity access about who gets ticket; because let us face it, some fans are more equal that others...

Sadly, I have stopped having expectations to FIFA as the guarantor of the fans, but still hopeful that I may be able to see a match in the World Cup...

Trying for Cruz Azul against Necaxa

 Today I wanted to go and watch the local Mexico City side of Cruz Azul face Necaxa. I was trying to buy ticket online on my way to the stadium in the metro and metrobus, but on the one hand had a bad connection, but worse, Ticketmaster.com continues to be the worst facilitator of tickets in the world. I already had big problems with tickets I had bought for an MLS match in the US: I had already purchased the tickets, but when heading to the match, I could not get them in my account that was "registered outside the US". The problem was similar yesterday, as I have a Danish ticketmaster account, but could not access the tickets on that account, while when I accessed through Mexican ticketmaster, I was not able to pay with a non-Mexican credit card.

I did make it to the stadium twenty minutes before kick-off. In this digital world it was not possible to buy a ticket outside the stadium which makes it so much more ridiculous that it has to be so difficult to get a ticket.

In the end, without a ticket, I went to a bar and watched the match which Cruz Azul won 3-0, and they maintain a comfortable lead at the top of the Mexican Apertura league. As I had my beers I could see that the stadium was not full, which makes this ticketing challenge so much more stupid.

Tickets for the World Cup in Russia?

Let me start this post by clarifying that I am naive and an idiot: I don't understand that buying a ticket for a football match has to be so complicated! I am the kind of naive idiot football fan who has the time and means to go to a World Cup match. I think it will be a great World Cup, that Russia will be great hosts, and I would really want to go to watch some of my favourite teams!

Today was the start of the last-minute phase of the sale of World Cup tickets. Having miserably failed to get near any tickets in the previous phases, I logged on early to see if I could get hold of tickets. Due to the time difference (I am in beautiful El Salvador), I did not log on at 2 AM Russia time, when the tickets went on sale in my region, but still tried to log on in the morning, only to get this message:

 

Fair enough, I was expecting some difficulties, so I started to wait...

And wait...

(While I of course did other things!)

I finally managed to log on. It was clearly crowded, as tickets were quickly disappearing, and for the matches I prioritized I kept getting the message:

Unable to get a ticket I gave up. After a discussion with a good friend we decided to go for one of the few tickets left for a match nobody wants to watch in a faraway corner of Russia.
So I will be going to the World Cup, even though I will attend a match that I am not really interested in, in a place that can only surprise me positively because outside Moscow and St. Petersburg, I have no knowledge or expectations about Russia. (I would be happy about any first-hand recommendations about Rostov-on-Don).

All these difficulties made me wonder whether tickets really are unavailable. On FIFA's website you can read that tickets are only to be purchased through FIFA:

 

Fair enough. I accept this, and this is also why I have done everything totally legit. However, surfing the net you can find plenty of sites offering tickets:

 

There is even a site comparing prices for the tickets:

These are not sites I found on the dark net: you can simply google them! FIFA knows well that they exist, but this does apparently not prevent the sites from openly (and transparently) selling the tickets.

Prices are generally higher than on FIFA, but they are not unattainable. The tickets seem legit, which means firstly, that they have had some way of hoarding these tickets through the FIFA site (which already requires some skills that an idiot like me doesn't have, since I was not even able to get a single ticket) and secondly that these sites, guaranteeing money back, must be pretty sure that FIFA's warning about not obtaining tickets outside their site is a largely hollow warning. These sites must be estimating that only a fraction of purchasers will be denied entry, opening up for a pretty nice margin for doing something that FIFA does not allow (I think that part of the speculation is that FIFA probably fears empty seats more). And conveniently, the burden is on the person who buys the tickets; a football fan who tried in vain on the FIFA site, only to be intimidated for paying more for a ticket that otherwise seems to be widely available.

All this said I am a naive and honest idiot: I am not so adventurous as to venture into one of these sites to get to the World Cup, even though I know plenty of fans will probably do it with no consequences. Honesty doesn't pay.

In the end, I find that all this leads to more questions about the ticketing for the World Cup: how do these sites get their tickets? How does FIFA allow it? How many people would get in through purchasing tickets on these sites? (I would love to hear if you are one!) Who is making the money...?

Trying to get a ticket for the World Cup

I did not get a ticket for Russia. I had applied for two matches, and it was a no. It is in fact more depressing than I thought it would be. This is my last chance to go to a World Cup, and it will not turn out. I am thinking of cancelling my summer vacations; vacations at all...

Trying to get a ticket for the 2018 World Cup

Around four years ago, living in Liberia, I tried in vain to get tickets for the World Cup. Now I am at it again: I have logged on to FIFA's online sale, and applied for tickets for two matches. As four years ago my expectations are low: I am aware their were empty seats during games I had applied for, and for which I would have paid more for than FIFA was asking. At the same time FIFA does not allow sales through any other platform than their own, even taking people to court. It all lacks transparency and clarity yet again, and I hope I am wrong in expecting empty stadiums yet again.
Results of my application will come in March...

Update 2: Trying to get a ticket for the World Cup

I am trying to round up things at work and home before I go on my World Cup vacation, even though I may not be going to the World Cup itself. But I made one last attempt to get a ticket when I was informed that FIFA had now put thousands of tickets on sale on their site. From my poor connection in Liberia in the rainy early hours of the morning I logged onto FIFA to see the availability of tickets a new.
Unfortunately, my plane tickets and agenda for my vacation during the first round has been bought and paid, so it is no longer an option to go to any first round matches. It was nevertheless with enormous regret that I saw that there were tickets available for matches I had previously not been successful in my application for.
Bummer.
I then looked at quarterfinals and forward. Indeed, there were some tickets available, and I tried, tried and tried. I would punch the "add to shopping cart" button, only to be told "this ticket is sold out' as the page reloaded.
Needless to say, I was not one of the lucky ones.

I am looking forward for a wonderful vacation where I will go to different countries to watch football. But I will not go to Brazil, and this leaves me with a sense of regret and wonder at this ticketing process, where thousands can suddenly go on sale. Is this a result from the jungle of ticket sales in the first round, where I did not "win" either"?
I know that what I may say is sacrilegious, but what about the free market? I am willing to pay a lot of money for a ticket, but I am obviously so scary of tickets that will not be honoured that I have not done it. But I would gladly pay a much larger amount than what FIFA has sold them for.
I will be hugely disappointed if, like in South Africa, we will be seeing empty seats for the first round matches in Brazil.

I guess I have to plan for ticket for future World Cups. Who do I have to pay off to get a ticket for Qatar 2022?

Update: Trying to get a ticket for the World Cup

In my interest for a World Cup ticket, I inquired the company offering tickets about how it could be that they could offer them. This was their reply:

"Dear customer,
I understand you are looking for tickets to the following match,
to which we have a limited number available now.
www.easysportstickets.com

Valid tickets

As informed on our site, we are a company reselling tickets in the secondary market, being now the biggest one in Europe after 16 years doing it. We are getting all tickets from the official suppliers so we guarantee them as official and original ones.

VIP Gold/Platinum are our best alongside seats, as close as possible to the pitch and the half line, and the best view of the match (VIP Platinum is 1st floor and VIP Gold is 1st or 2nd floor). These tickets do not include any package.
Category 1 can be any seat alongside, any tier or side of the pitch, not necessarily central.
Category 2 can be any seat located in a corner of the stadium.
Category 3 can be any seat behind the goal, any tier and either end.
Best Available tickets are the best available price, and can be anywhere in the stadium.
Away section tickets will be with the visiting team supporters, and this section is usually located in the corner or behind the goal.

If you have a special request for a more specific location within the category you have selected, we recommend you write a comment in the comment box, and we will do our best to match your request.
Shipping:

Tickets will be delivered up to two weeks before the event to your home address, be it local or abroad. You can include the shipping address in the specified shipping address section when placing an order. In the case of a late release of tickets from the official supplier, we will contact you to request a shipping address in Brazil, such as a hotel address. This is also an option if you are going to be travelling (you can let us know your arrival date and hotel details). We ship tickets exclusively with registered express courier companies, the safest way to ensure you receive your tickets on time, and at your door.

If you decide you want the tickets, please order ASAP, because the price will be higher soon, and the availability is limited for this highly demanded event!

For anything else, please contact us by e-mail or by phone.

Best regards,

Sales Department
www.easysportstickets.com"

Of course, I should not let these guy's message stand alone, and asked FIFA pretty much the same question. This was FIFA's reply:

"Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting the FIFA Ticketing Centre.

No other websites or parties have any rights to legitimately sell Tickets for the Competition. If you see any other website offering Tickets for the Competition you can be certain that this is not a legitimate sales channel. Please note that any Tickets obtained from any other source (for example, unauthorised intermediaries such as ticket brokers, internet auctions, internet ticket agents, internet or other unofficial ticket exchange platforms)can be automatically rendered void and invalid and do not entitle the Ticket Holder to enter the Stadium or to any refund or further compensation. Upon request from FIFA, Ticket Holders must explain how, from whom, for what consideration and from where they obtained their Tickets.

The company you have identified does not have any legitimate tickets to sell, and is not authorized to sell tickets. We have reported them to consumer protection authorities, and suggest that you do the same. Acquisition of tickets from such sites poses the risks that are identified on www.FIFA.com/tickets on the page identified as “Authorized Sales Channels.”

All information about ticket availability and sales phases is posted on www.FIFA.com/tickets.

Kind Regards"

 I do not know what to make of all this. I think FIFA is honest in the sense that they are the only authorised to sell tickets, but at the same time they are not saying something about them knowing that many tickets are out there. I think the company is honest about them guaranteeing the tickets, but they are not saying something about there being a risk that it may not be honoured by FIFA....

I do not think I will be going to the World Cup.
Ever. 

Trying to get a ticket for the World Cup

I have no life. But I have a job where I make good money and have the opportunity of taking days off. It is in this context that I have wanted to find a ticket for a World Cup match. I had my eyes set on Chile-Spain in the legendary Maracana stadium, and applied for tickets through the somewhat random FIFA ticket process. Of course I did not get a ticket. Guys like me never do. But of course, I am still looking, and if you search for "World Cup tickets" on google you will find that there are apparently a lot of tickets. On a ticket sales site I have found a ticket for 497 Euros!
Would I pay that for the ticket. Absolutely yes. But have I done it? No.
I am in doubt of the ticket being real. I wrote FIFA and asked whether this could be real, and their message was "Thank you for contacting Fifa Ticketing Service. Please be advised that the only authorized ticket selling platform is www.FIFA.com. Any tickets purchased on any other website will not be honored."
Fair enough, and pretty clear. Not long ago I bought a ticket for a Premier League match on one of these sites, and was told at the stadium that it could not be used because someone had purchased many tickets with the same credit card (I paid for another ticket). I did nevertheless get the money back from the site, which apologized, which makes me think that they are, if not legit, at least honest about selling their tickets (At the same time, I am impressed about the club, where it is not difficult to limit how many tickets are bought on the same credit card). I would buy a ticket for Chile-Spain right now for 497 Euros. But my fear is getting there, traveling all the way to Brazil, and stand there as an idiot when they tell me that the ticket "will not be honoured", even if they give me my money back.

FIFA limits how many tickets you can buy. But how come there are so many sites offering tickets as well? If tickets can only be bought via the FIFA website, isn't what all these sites are doing illegal? How come FIFA does not warn even more about these sites?
It is not about the money. It is about getting into the match. And as it seems to me, there is no way to getting in by dealing with FIFA, although there seem to be a lot of tickets around.
I want a ticket.