Buying Tickets for the 2010 World Cup

The 2010 World Cup will be held in South Africa. Tickets are already on sale (they became available in February 2009) and will likely be snatched up long before the actual game dates. In order to get your own ticket to see the world soccer champions playing, you'll need to get started right now.

Choose Your Game

The cities that will host World Cup games have been chosen and the match schedule is already set. In order to buy tickets, you'll need to know which games you want to attend. If you have a favorite country, then check to see who and where they'll be playing before applying for your tickets.

It can be a bit tricky to figure out which soccer games to see. With 64 rounds, there will be plenty of opportunity to pick and choose the games. There are limited tickets, however, and the application process doesn't guarantee that you will get to see the matches you most want. With over 1.6 million applicants in just the first round of ticket applications, it's no surprise that the competition to get the seats you want at the game you want is going to be harsh.

Pick a Match

The different matches have different prices. Residents of South Africa will be given superior discounts that equal less than the face value of the tickets.

Prices for the tickets are as follows, in US dollars.

Match 1 = $200-450
Matches 2-48 = $80-120
Matches 49-56 = $100-200
Matches 57-60 = $150-300
Matches 61-62 =$250-600
Match 63 = $150-300
Match 64 = $400-900

The prices vary with the seating. The better the seats, the higher the ticket price. However, the stadiums aren't all completed yet, so it isn't yet possible to choose a specific spot to sit, you can only choose an area.

Applying for Tickets

The process for purchasing a ticket to the World Cup is not that straightforward. Rather than simply buying the number of tickets you want, you need to apply instead. Some have likened it to a lottery. This is part of the reason why it pays to get your application in early. There are two application periods where people may specify their preference.

Where and When to Apply

You can enter the ballot for ticket purchase at any First National Branch within South Africa, or you can go to FIFA.com to apply online for your tickets. However, the first phase ended on March 31st, 2009 and the winners will be drawn on April 15th, 2009. After this, the second phase of applications will be open from May 4th, 2009 to November 16th, 2009.

Once the application phases are over, tickets will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. This was done to gauge interest and also to help reduce the number of people in each area, since there are a huge number of people wanting to see specific team and most importantly, the final match. This is the most expensive World Cup ticket and also the most requested.

What to Do If You Don't Win

Not everyone is going to be able to grab a ticket in the application rounds. That doesn't mean you can't go, it just means that you will end up paying a much higher price. People who have won tickets will be auctioning them off to the highest bidder once ticket applications and sales have closed. This is how prices end up being so high and it tends to weed out those who aren't willing to pay huge amounts of money. However, you'll pay far less if you can get a ticket before they run out.