I remember the evening of December 2, 2010 very well. Sitting in front of the TV, he nervously twisted the remote control in his hands, and waited for the announcement of the host country of the FIFA World Cup.

“No one will let us win, Winter Games enough, ”my old friend assured me.

We, two carefree third-year students, could talk for hours about the Russian application, find arguments why the championship could not be held in our country in order to protect ourselves from unnecessary hopes. Then the Olympics, for which Sochi was preparing at full speed, seemed fantastic. But the dream of the World Cup, a big football holiday grew every day and on December 2, our prayers were heard - Russia was declared the host of the World Cup. Delight!

It remains only to wait eight years, that is exactly how much separates us from our dreams.

During this time, we matured, even attended the Olympics, began to work, started families, much has changed, except for the frantic desire to become a part of the opening match or the final at home Championship the world.

Every dream has a price. In this case, it is quite specific. It was announced in advance. For Russians, they even introduced a special category of available tickets. It was possible to get to the final for 7,040 rubles, and to the opening match only 3,200 rubles. I don't care that these places are on the upper floors behind the gates. The main thing is to be where billions of people will look these days. The rest of the tickets are significantly more expensive. From 13,200 for the opening and up to 66,000 rubles for the final.

It was quite expected that there would be clearly more applicants than tickets. Therefore, the organizers came up with a scheme for selling tickets in several stages - two of which turned out to be, in fact, the most common lottery.

You leave a request for no more than six matches and wait to see if the stars will converge and the required lot will be drawn.

The first random draw took place even before the cities knew which teams would play on their fields. But we were only interested in the opening match and the final. In the first, the Russian national team will definitely play, in the second it will definitely not be. Having defended a half-hour queue at the entrance to the site for buying tickets (yes, there is one), I submit an application among the first, its serial number 225. I choose the cheapest category. Suddenly you get lucky!

The rules clearly state that the time of filing the application does not decide anything, everyone has equal chances. But for some reason I believe it is better earlier.

I check my email every day. The first letter - get ready, they may soon start writing off money. The account is replenished, a tedious wait. I am looking in social networks by groups and tags for at least some information from the same waiters like me. Some have already received confirmation, someone smiled at the ending, envy.

Thank you for your interest in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. Unfortunately, your Application for the purchase of Tickets was not successful in the Random Draw of Tickets, and therefore the Tickets you requested were not distributed to you - such a letter comes exactly two months after my first application. Luck is not on my side this time.

The organizers assure that it's okay, try again! Coming Soon new stage sales - on a first come, first served basis. OK.

Morning November 16, the phone has an alarm for 11:00. You have to get in line and get tickets for the finals by all means.

“You are now in the queue for the site. When it's your turn, you have 10 minutes to visit the site. You will be able to access the site in: more than an hour ”- reads the inscription on the FIFA website.

I have waited eight years and will wait an hour, no big deal, - I reassure myself.

The page opens, and I see that there are no fourth category tickets for any of the matches, seats for the matches of the Russian national team are almost completely sold out. And for the final and opening ceremony they simply light up red - "this product is not available for reservation."

The organizers will then write in a press release that more than 740 thousand tickets have been distributed in the first two stages. Many of them bought tickets simply for a specific date and city. What match fell to the fans, they learned only on December 1 after the draw. Someone got the game of Portugal and Spain in Sochi, and someone of Panama and Tunisia in Saransk. At this stage, I didn't try to try my luck, I really wanted to catch the fading chances of being at the final in Luzhniki.

The draw put everything in its place. Now the fans knew exactly where their favorites would play and planned routes. I obviously had more competitors not only for the final, but simply for good match in the near Sochi.

The dream of the ending has practically melted away. Trying to grab a tit by the tail, I fill out a full application - Portugal - Spain in Sochi, Brazil - Switzerland in Rostov, Russia - Egypt in St. Petersburg, Serbia - Brazil in Moscow, England - Belgium in Kaliningrad, the 1/8 finals match in Sochi and the semifinals In Petersburg. At least one match must fall out of the fourth category!

By the end of the application period, FIFA happily reported an unprecedented hype. Just imagine - 4 million fans have applied for tickets. My chances were getting very slim. It turned out that 90 people per seat for individual games was a competition among fans. And in the thoughts of each of them - "take my money and give me the opportunity to visit the World Cup."

In March, many again began to write about their luck in social networks, they were given tickets, and they even managed to pay for them. One, as it turned out, my smarter friend did not rely on the fourth category for Russians and asked for tickets of the third category. So for just 10 thousand rubles, he will get to the match for third place in St. Petersburg. Colleagues and acquaintances who hoped to snatch a ticket for 1280 rubles, just like me, remained in the dark.

Thank you for your interest in the FIFA World Cup in Russia. Unfortunately, your Application for the purchase of Tickets was not successful in the Random Draw during the Second Sales Phase (2), and therefore the Tickets you requested were not distributed to you - the second letter and again the application crossed out in red. Just a mockery.

The same letters were received by all my acquaintances who were counting on tickets of the fourth category. Do they even exist? Respond, lucky ones!

Morning March 13. Tickets must again go on sale on a first come, first served basis. Having learned from bitter experience, I try to get a seat in advance. But the painfully familiar site and the little man were in no hurry. Waiting time is more than an hour. In fact, I managed to get to the ticket selection page only at 19:00, eight hours later! There was already nothing to choose, there was not even a talk about the final and the opening match. Of the attractive - only the semi-final in St. Petersburg for 25 thousand rubles. While I was running the vacation budget calculations in my head, someone took these tickets away. The choice of tickets was only for one match - Panama - Tunisia in Saransk.

Later it turned out that waiting for many hours was a system failure.

We apologize to all fans who spent many hours waiting before entering the ticketing platform. The demand during this period of sales on a first-come-first-served basis was incredibly high, which is why many of you waited several hours to pass the queue, - the organizers apologized on social networks.

There are very few opportunities to get a ticket ahead. But they are, and you need to be prepared for the development of events. If you, like me, have not yet bought and won it, but really want to get to the World Championship, be careful.

To date, the most expensive tickets for the most unpopular matches are still on sale - Iceland - Croatia, Nigeria - Iceland, Uruguay - Saudi Arabia, Tunisia - England, Croatia - Nigeria. There are six days left until the end of sales.

The final stage of the sale will begin on April 18th. Around the same time, a ticket resale platform will open where fans who have purchased tickets but cannot attend the match will have the opportunity to list their tickets for sale. This is perhaps last chance hook the opportunity to get to the final or opening match. And this chance, it seems, is much less than winning the lottery.

P.S. And, most importantly, you can only buy tickets at FIFA.com/Bilet. All other resources can be common scammers.

4,905,169 tickets for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia ™ were requested by fans around the world at the close of the current sales period via random draw... It ended today at noon Moscow time. Since December 5, 2017, all fans have had the unique opportunity to apply for tickets exclusively through FIFA.com/bilet, and the anticipation of the epic football celebration has grown day by day.

Most of the entries were from Russian fans (2,503,957 tickets requested), while fans from Germany (338,414), Argentina (186,005), Mexico (154,611), Brazil (140,848), Poland (128,736), Spain (110,649), Peru (100,256), Colombia (87,786), the United States (87,052) and Holland (71,096) are also among the leaders in this regard. At the same time, 49% of tickets were requested by fans from abroad.

Due to the very high demand, a random draw will be carried out to determine successful bids. This open and objective procedure will take place in the presence of a notary and will be applied in cases where the number of applications exceeds the number of available tickets. All fans will be notified of the random draw results no later than mid-March.

The next opportunity to purchase tickets for the 2018 World Cup will appear on March 13. From now on, fans will be able to purchase tickets on FIFA.com/bilet (subject to availability) on a first come, first served basis. This means that bids will be confirmed in real time after successful payment.

You can pay for tickets online with Visa payment cards. Visa is official partner FIFA in the payment services category. Detailed information on payment methods can be found.

Tickets purchased during Phase 1 and 2 will be shipped to owners free of charge for several weeks prior to the start of the tournament. Ticket delivery will begin no earlier than April / May 2018 (terms will be specified).

Detailed information on ticket products, prices, sales milestones, payment options and more is available at FIFA.com/bilet.

FAN ID

At the initiative of the Russian authorities, in order to attend all matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, after purchasing a ticket, all fans must also obtain a FAN ID. We recommend that you apply for this free document as soon as you receive confirmation of your ticket purchase by email after the end of the sales period by random drawing.

Fans must have a valid ticket and FAN ID to enter the stadiums hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia ™. In addition, the FAN ID allows you to take advantage of additional benefits and services: visa-free entry to the territory Russian Federation, free travel on special trains between the host cities, free travel on public transport on the day of the match. You can find detailed information on the FAN ID on the website www.fan-id.ru.

FIFA is not responsible for the application, issuance and / or use of FAN IDs.

The following have already been selected for the tournament: the Russian national team (as the team of the host country), as well as the national teams of Brazil, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Belgium, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

When is the start of sales?

Mass sales of tickets for the World Cup will begin on September 14, 2017 at 12:00 Moscow time.

Where can you buy?

FIFA.com/bilet only. FIFA will also open dedicated sales centers in the cities hosting the tournament's matches.

How to buy?

Ticket sales will take place in several stages:

- 1 stage of sales (two periods)

From September 14 to October 12, 2017 - the first period. So far, you can only apply for tickets, and redeem them later, if your application is approved: in whole or in part. Until November 16, all fans will be told whether they have received the right to buy a ticket for the submitted application. If there are more applications for tickets than available seats, a random draw will be held for distribution.

The second period of the first phase of sales will last from 16 to 28 November 2017. Tickets for matches can be purchased on a first come, first served basis, that is, until they run out.

- 2nd stage of sales (two periods)

From December 5, 2017 to January 21, 2018, you can apply for tickets again. On a first come, first served basis, they will be sold from March 13 to April 3, 2018.

- 3rd stage of sales

Those football fans who will not be able to buy tickets during the first two stages of sales will have a chance to get them at the “last moment”. This stage will take place from April 18 to July 15, 2018, that is, until the final day of the championship. Tickets will be on sale as long as they are available, no advance requests are required.

Does it make sense to buy tickets at the first stage, even before the draw for the teams?

Yes there is. A fan can buy a ticket package for a specific stadium in a specific city. For example, the ticket package for Luzhniki includes 3 group stage matches and 1 1/8 final match.

In addition, you can buy a package for matches (from 3 to 7 games) of a certain team: for example, Russia or Brazil. You do not need to know the schedule in advance for this.

Also, at the first stage, it will be possible to leave a request, and then buy:

- Tickets for a specific match: you can choose any, from the opening to the final.

- Ticket packages for a specific stadium: group stage matches (except for the opening match), 1/8 finals and third place matches, which are played at the selected stadium.

When will the tickets be delivered and how much will it cost?

Ticket delivery will begin no earlier than April-May 2018 (subject to change).

Tickets purchased during the first and second stages of sales will be received by owners for free for several weeks before the start of the tournament.

How much will tickets for the World Cup cost?

All tickets, depending on the price, the place on the stand and the stage of the tournament, are divided into 4 categories. The fourth category is intended only for Russian citizens as residents of the host country of the World Cup. The total share of such tickets at the tournament will be 350,000.

Photo: FIFA

The most expensive ticket will cost 66 thousand rubles. This is the first category ticket for the final game of the championship, which will be held at the Luzhniki stadium, according to the official FIFA website.

Are there any discounts for children?

There are no discounts on tickets for children.

How many tickets can I buy?

In total, one person can purchase a maximum of 4 tickets for a single match.

Do I need a FAN ID?

Yes, definitely. To enter the stadium, in addition to a ticket, you will also need a fan passport (Fan-ID). But the ticket can be bought without it.

The FIFA website recommends applying for this free document as soon as the fan receives confirmation of the ticket purchase by email after the end of the sales period by random drawing, i.e. after November 16, 2017.

A FAN ID allows you to take advantage of additional benefits and services: visa-free entry to the territory of the Russian Federation, free travel on special trains between the host cities, free travel on public transport on the day of the match.

Yesterday, March 9, 2018, Championship Ticket Center FIFA world has finally carried out a random draw of tickets for the second stage of sales for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Let me remind you that the second stage of ticket sales ended on January 31st. Why it was necessary to wait 40 days to draw tickets for tickets is more than incomprehensible. To finally bury the expectations of those fans who were unlucky with the draw? The same people who got tickets following the draw would also be happy if the draw took place as early as possible. For example, in early February. After all, then, the Russians who have gathered to attend matches in other cities of Russia, as well as foreign fans, could buy air tickets / train tickets a month earlier, as well as book hotel rooms. As we all know, the earlier you buy tickets or book a hotel room, the cheaper it will cost. So in addition to the nerves that people spent waiting for the drawing of tickets for tickets, people lost time and money.

What was the second stage of ticket sales? During the second stage, the sale of tickets on the fifa.com website, which took place from December 5, 2017 to January 31, 2018, everyone wishing to purchase tickets left an application. An application is a desire to purchase a ticket, which does not guarantee its purchase. You choose a match, the number of tickets, for some reason, enter in advance the details of all guests who are going to go with you, indicate the delivery address for courier tickets and the details of your bank card or account. Why do all this, if you just might not get a ticket, it is unclear. But FIFA has collected a lot of personal data - several million people. Those who were unlucky and didn't get tickets, just wasted their time registering on the website and filling out the application form, leaving their personal data.

And so, the random drawing of lots for the second stage of ticket sales is over. What are its results? To be honest, the result was unsuccessful for me. I applied maximum amount ticket requests are 7 different matches. The number of tickets is even higher. I was going to go to some matches alone, to some with others. But none of the 7 applications! was not successful. Moreover, I intended to attend not only matches in Moscow, where I live, but in other cities. Namely St. Petersburg and Samara, where the Russian national team will play. And also 1 match was selected in Nizhny Novgorod... I submitted applications on the very first day of the Second stage, December 5! Unfortunately, it doesn't matter at all for the draw. You can apply on the last day and you will have an equal chance with those who submitted an application 2 months earlier. Not very fair. It also looks like the system does not take into account the number of applications from one user in any way. I do not really believe that the number of applications for one seat was more than 7 times more than the number of tickets. Or some of the lucky ones obviously got several tickets for different matches, while others got nothing at all.

In general, apparently not destiny. To be honest, such "bad luck" in a random draw of tickets, when out of seven applications there is not one among the winners, suggests some thoughts. Are the results of the "lottery" fair at all? Unfortunately, neither you nor I will be able to find out. As well as to understand who are the people who will get to the opening match and final match football championship in Russia 2018. Because tickets for these matches are not on sale, for any money.

the site publishes instructions for those who do not want to postpone the purchase of tickets until the last moment.

The best national teams of the world will come to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup next summer. sporting events will bring together hundreds of thousands of fans from all over the world, and billions of TV viewers will watch the broadcasts of the matches. Naturally, many football fans from Moscow will not want to miss the matches that will take place here. After all, it is the capital that will become the main city of the championship. In order not to miss a unique chance and get to the games of the 2018 World Cup, you should take care of tickets in advance - their sale has already begun.

Please note that tickets can be purchased at this stage exclusively on the FIFA website. Buyers should study the rules established by The International Federation football, and follow the instructions.

What will Moscow see?

The World Cup matches will be held from June 14 to July 15, 2018 in 11 cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Sochi, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg and Saransk. The capital is called the main city of the future championship for a reason. The organizers are preparing to host 12 games here, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies of the tournament.

The main events will take place at the Bolshoi sports arena Luzhnikov. Both ceremonies and seven meetings will take place here: opening match, three matches group stage, one eighth final, semi-final and final. Five more games of the tournament will be hosted by Spartak Stadium: four matches of the group stage and one-eighth of the final.

Which teams will take to the Moscow fields will become known on December 1, when the 2018 FIFA World Cup final draw ceremony will take place. All participants will be divided into eight groups of four teams each. They will be assigned letter designations from A to H. It is known that the Russian national team received the designation A1 and on June 14, 2018, the world championship will open in Luzhniki with a match with her participation.

Where to start buying?

How many tickets are given to one hand?

In addition to the fact that everyone can buy no more than four tickets for the game, there is a whole list of restrictions. According to the organizers, they should help fight resellers and offer fans as many options as possible.

According to the rules, one fan will not be able to purchase tickets for more than seven matches and buy more than 28 tickets for himself and all his guests as part of his application (maximum four tickets for one match). The only exception is when buying non-fixed tickets: one application can include a ticket package for attending up to eight matches.

Buyers can combine tickets for individual matches with ticket packages for a specific stadium. But in one application, there should still be no more than 28 tickets. If FIFA finds inconsistencies in the application, it may be canceled.

In addition, it is not allowed to buy tickets for different matches taking place on the same day. And one person - a customer or a guest - cannot buy more than one ticket for a match, leaving several applications.

You can buy tickets for only one category for a specific game. However, you can order different categories of tickets for different matches.

How to pay and receive tickets?

After the buyer chooses a ticket, the site will offer to enter the bank card details. The money will be written off from it if, according to the results of the drawing of lots, the tickets will go to him (only after the application receives the status of successful). To do this, you will not need to confirm the purchase or perform any other actions. Only foreign fans will need to return to the site to pay. After full payment, FIFA will send an official confirmation of purchase by email.

FIFA warns that at the time of payment, there must be sufficient funds on the card account, otherwise the application will not be satisfied and the tickets will be given to another buyer. Another payment option is a bank transfer, which must be made within seven days from the moment when the confirmation of the purchase of tickets arrives. The choice of payment option is made when submitting an application.

When sales start on a first come, first served basis (again on the fifa.com/bilet website), money will be debited at the time of purchase. And in the main ticket centers of FIFA, at the last stage of sales, cash will also be accepted for payment.

Paid tickets purchased at the first and second stages of sales will be delivered free of charge to the specified address by a courier. They will start shipping in April - May 2018. The recipient will need to present a passport and a card with which the purchase was paid. For special categories of fans, certificates and medical reports will also be required.

Tickets purchased after April 3, as well as tickets purchased at the last minute of the sales stage (from April 18) will not be delivered. In addition, there will be no delivery for specific team game packages and non-fixed tickets for any one-eighth, one-fourth final, semi-final, third-place and final game.

They will be available at ticket centers in all cities that host the championship before and during the tournament. The organizers recommend not to delay and pick them up as early as possible before the day of the match. They will not be issued at the stadiums themselves. From April 18, this can be done by appointment, without wasting time in the general queue.

Why does a fan need a special passport?

Applications have been submitted, tickets have been purchased, but that's not all. Everyone who wants to see the game of the strongest national teams of the planet will have to get an official document in advance - a fan passport, or FAN ID.

This is a personalized viewer card, which can be used to identify his identity. A FAN ID will help ensure the safety of football fans and eliminate ticket speculation. The plastic card also gives some privileges, for example, the right to free travel on public transport on the day of the match and on special trains running between the host cities.

In Moscow, in addition to the metro, the MCC, commuter trains and some ground transport routes, free travel was also provided in Aeroexpress trains. During the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, fans, volunteers and FIFA accredited persons used free transport over 320 thousand times.

In addition, for foreign tourists it is also a document for visa-free entry to the territory of Russia.

Registration and delivery of your passport is free. This can be done online or in special ones. You can apply for a FAN ID only after FIFA has confirmed your ticket purchase request.

What is prohibited?

FIFA rules state that only one person can enter the stadium with one ticket, regardless of age. The ticket must be kept until the end of the match, and those who leave the stadium during the game will not be allowed back. In case of any violations, the ticket may be canceled.

They may not be allowed to attend the match because of a banned fan: if he is intoxicated or intoxicated, expresses racist or xenophobic thoughts, is engaged in campaigning or charity work, interferes with other people or violates public order.

Prohibited items include weapons, fireworks, flares, smoke bombs and pyrotechnics, commercial materials or items that violate FIFA's rights, as well as items that could adversely affect public safety or damage the reputation of the competition.

The organizers of the championship may ask fans to move to another seat, which should at least belong to the same category, close or remove any materials or leave the stadium altogether. Those who are going to matches with children and teenagers should take care of permission from their parents.

If a fan is unable to attend the game, the ticket must be returned 48 hours before the match day. In this case, the organizers will have to pay compensation in the amount of 20 percent of the price indicated on the ticket. If you do this later, you will have to compensate the entire amount, which means that you will not be able to return the money spent.

According to the rules, tickets cannot be resold, buy them for other people (not for their guests), including for those who are prohibited from visiting football matches... The ticket can be transferred to another person only with the special permission of FIFA.