How I got tickets to the 2018 World Cup in Russia

With the USA not qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, it was tough finding others that still wanted to go. So since I was going solo, I decided to try to get to the semifinals and final. Obviously these tickets are expensive, and very hard to come by.

In April I got in touch with Eric and Dave (the two guys that work as contractors for FIFA who helped us get tickets in Brazil) and asked them to keep me in mind should they come across these. Meanwhile, I started the process of getting my Fan ID - a new credential-type identification that was required in order to enter stadiums, and would also serve as a visa to get into Russia. It took while but I received the ID around mid-May. So strange to see a package arrive from the Russia Federation.

Ironically, I was in St. Petersburg, Florida on June 7 when I got an email from Dave - who was already in Russia - letting me know that some tickets would be released the next day….and that he could get me a ticket to the Semifinal in St. Petersburg and the final in Moscow. Done and done. I sent him my details and payment info.

The next day, shortly after Dave sent me the confirmation numbers for the two games, Eric let’s me know that he got me ticket to the other Semifinal in Moscow.

So wild. It was hard to believe. And I wouldn’t feel comfortable until I had the tickets in hand…though that couldn’t happen until I got to Russia.

I had a month to sort out the other details…like find flights, research hotels, figure out how to get from one city to the other overnight, and learn some basic Cyrillic.