This text is based on an interview with Worchihan Zingkhaim, a 40-year-old internet creator from a village in the state of Manipur, India. It has been condensed and edited for clarity.
I have loved football for as long as I can remember.
Growing up in a village in Manipur, football was everywhere. We didn't have the right equipment, so we made balls out of plastic and old clothes rolled into a ball.
I remember watching the World Cup for the first time in 1998 – staying up until three in the morning. The entire village had one black and white TV, and we donated fuel to the generator to power it.
Since then, I have watched every World Cup on TV. I became a Portugal fan, then I started following the Premier League. However, going to a World Cup match always seemed unrealistic.
Now, almost 30 years later, it finally works out.
The laptop will have to wait
Such a trip is much more than just buying a ticket to the match.
My village is approximately 1,700 meters above sea level and there is no airport nearby. First I have to drive about six hours to Imphal, then fly to New Delhi, then London, Washington and finally Atlanta.
That's four flights and about 27 hours in the air.
The journey would have been much more difficult without the help of my wife's family. My father-in-law paid for our tickets from New Delhi to Washington, and my wife's family is helping us with accommodation in the US. Thanks to this, the trip became much more financially affordable.
Despite this support, I had to make a lot of sacrifices.
I'm an internet creator – I create videos for YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. This year I planned to buy a new laptop for video editing, priced between $2,200 and $2,500.
Worchihan Zingkhai plays football with other villagers of Ngahui village in Ukhrul district, Manipur, India
However, I couldn't afford a laptop and travel to the World Cup at the same time – so the laptop will have to wait.
In my area, people often earn around 500 rupees a day, which is roughly $5-6. That's why we approach expenses very carefully.
My family gave up other purchases and additional trips to make this trip possible for me.
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I lost my first chance at tickets
Getting a ticket to the World Cup turned out to be more difficult than I thought.
I attended a FIFA sale in February with a budget of $350. per ticket. I dreamed of seeing Portugal, England or Argentina matches.
When I finally got access to the system, I only had 15 minutes to purchase. Tickets for Portugal's matches cost between $450 and $650. — more than I could pay.
I spent too long comparing options and ultimately lost my chance.
I thought this was the end of my road to the World Cup.
Worchihan Zingkhai at the match between Thailand and Iraq in Bangkok
However, I managed to buy tickets in April. This time I focused on the match I could afford rather than the teams I most wanted to see.
After several hours of waiting in line, I finally made it – I bought two third-class tickets for the Czech Republic – South Africa match in Atlanta for $140 each. for each — one for me and one for my father-in-law.
High prices make life difficult for fans
I understand why there is so much interest in the World Cup. Despite this, I believe that ticket prices are difficult for ordinary fans to accept.
What frustrates me the most is the resale market.
- Read also: “Betrayal of tradition”. Fans complain about World Cup ticket prices
I paid $140. for your ticket. A few weeks later, I checked the resale platform and saw places nearby listed for about $560.
As a fan, it's really disappointing.
People who really want to attend the match have a very short time to buy tickets, while traders have much more time to make money from them.
I believe that some people buy tickets mainly to resell them – instead of going to the game.
For fans like me, this makes an already expensive event even more inaccessible.
The article is a translation from the American edition of Business Insider
