In just three months, the FIFA World Cup 2018 kicks off in Moscow at the Luzhniki Stadium, where Russia will take on Saudi Arabia. With only the Last Minute Sales Phase left to get your tickets, which go on sale between the 18th of April until the final match day, make sure you make a note in your diary before they all go!
World Cup 2018 Location
This year’s World Cup, hosted by Russia, is taking place across 12 pitches in 11 locations, so check where your match takes place before booking accommodation and flights. The locations for the matches, namely the cities and the stadiums, are listed below:
- Ekaterinburg: Ekaterinburg Arena
- Kaliningrad Kaliningrad Arena
- Kazan: Kazan Arena
- Moscow: Luzhniki Stadium
- Moscow: Spartak Stadium
- Nizhny Novgorod: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium
- Rostov-on-Don: Rostov Arena
- Saint Petersburg: Saint Petersburg Stadium
- Samara: Samara Arena
- Saransk: Mordovia Arena
- Sochi: Fisht Stadium
- Volgograd: Volgograd Arena
Schedule
The match schedule for the World Cup has been finalised and you can now see when and where your country is playing and against whom. The upcoming month of football frenzy begins with the Group Matches at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, which commence on the 14th of June and finish on June 28th with England vs Belgium at the Kaliningrad Stadium.
Group Matches have been split into eight groups each consisting of four teams, which are as follows:
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H |
| Russia Saudi Arabia Egypt Uruguay | Portugal Spain Morocco Iran | France Australia Peru Denmark | Argentina Iceland Croatia Nigeria
| Brazil Switzerland Costa Rica Serbia | Germany Mexico Sweden Korea Republic | Belgium Panama Tunisia England | Poland Senegal Colombia Japan |
With matches starting as early as 13:00 MSK, or as late as 21:00 MSK, be sure to check the dates and times for each Group Match below, so you don’t miss a chance to support your team.
Following a day of rest, the winners then proceed to the Round of 16, which takes place between the 30th June until the 3rd of July. This determines which teams make it through to the Quarter Finals that will take place between the 6th to 7th of July.
The victors of this round are then placed into the Semi Finals on the 10th and 11th July. Lastly, 3rd place is announced after the penultimate match on the 14th July and the Final kicks off on the 15th July at 18:00 MSK. The winner of the World Cup is declared shortly thereafter.
Obtaining Fifa 2018 Match Tickets
The World Cup ticket prices and categories are critical for fans to be aware of, to ensure they get the best seats for any given game. There are four separate categories for tickets, three for visitors to Russia and the fourth only available for local residents.
Each category determines the location of a spectator’s seats and thus the price of each ticket. The prices range from, approximately, £79 to £829 if visiting from the UK and £17 to £92 if you’re a Russian resident. Be sure to check online for ticket prices for your specific country as they vary from region to region.
- Category 1 are the most sought-after seats and are located in prime areas within the stadiums and therefore the most expensive.
- Categories 2 and 3 are located outside the category 1 zones and are cheaper as a result.
- Category 4 is exclusively for Russian citizens.
The approximate price for each match and their respective category for those travelling from Europe can be found below:
| Match | Category 1 | Category 2 | Category 3 | Category 4 (Russian residents) |
| Opening match | £414 | £294 | £166 | £42 |
| Group matches | £158 | £124 | £79 | £17 |
| Round of 16 | £185 | £139 | £87 | £29 |
| Quarter-finals | £275 | £192 | £132 | £50 |
| Semi-finals | £565 | £362 | £215 | £59 |
| Third/Fourth place play-off | £275 | £192 | £132 | £50 |
| Final | £829 | £535 | £343 | £92 |
Alongside the categories, there will be five types of tickets available for the World Cup this year:
- Individual Match Tickets, which are for a specific match, will be available for all matches and sold during the Last Minute Phase.
- Venue Specific Tickets are tickets for strips or a specific venue. These include Group Matches (besides the Opening Match), Round of 16 and the 3’rd Place Match. They don’t include the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals or the Final. These tickets are also included in the Last Minute Sales Phase.
- Team Specific Tickets allowed fans to follow a specific team of their choosing. These were available during the first Random Selection Draw of Sales Phase 1 but, unfortunately, can no longer be purchased.
- Supporter Tickets and Conditional Supporter Tickets. The Supporter Tickets are for national team enthusiasts, who could support their teams through the Group Matches. If their team got through then supporters could apply for Conditional Supporter Tickets granting viewership of their team for each round they qualified for. These were only available during the Random Selection Draw of Sales Phase 2.
- Special Access Tickets will also be available for persons who are disabled, have limited mobility or are obese. Applicants who are physically challenged (excluding obesity) will also be offered a complimentary ticket for one companion. These seats will feature easy access and a large enough area to accommodate the individual’s needs, based on the type of Special Access Ticket they’ve purchased. Purchasers of this ticket will need to provide proof that is widely accepted in their country of residence and parking permits will not be valid.
It is important to make a note that the Last Minute Phase for this year’s World Cup starts from the 18th of April. There are plenty of ticket types, which can still be bought at this late hour, but hurry as they’re bound to sell out quick.
This will be the final chance for fans to purchase tickets for the competition through official channels and at the recommended prices. Tickets for the Last Minute Phase will be available to buy online and all ticket applicants will receive a confirmation message by e-mail from the FIFA World Cup Ticketing Centre.
Any remaining tickets will be available over the counter at designated FIFA Venue Ticketing Centres, so grab them before they go.
