FIFA World Cup

World+Cup+Trophy%2C+photo+courtesy+Rhett+Lewis+via+Unsplash

Rhett Lewis

World Cup Trophy, photo courtesy Rhett Lewis via Unsplash

Madison McKenzie, Journalist

The FIFA World Cup is an international football competition played by the senior men’s national teams of the members of the Federation Internation of Football Association. The FIFA World Cup is planned to take place this year from November 18th to December 20th in Qatar.

World Cup teams are picked by their seed rankings in the FIFA league and recent World Cups. Other teams are selected randomly from the top to the finishers in qualifying play and the host team. Thirty-two teams will compete in eight groups of four, and the winners of each group will compete against each other to head toward the finals. It will run over a twelve-day period and see winners and runners-up progress to sixteen rounds. North America and the Caribbean qualified three to four teams from their country, and South America qualified four to five teams. Oceania usually qualifies one team, while Europe qualifies a total number of thirteen teams. The fan favorite, Lionel Messi, has confirmed to play his fifth and final World Cup this year and he is seeking his first title at the showpiece tournament.

Tickets are in the cost range of $70 to $200 for the group stage games, locals from Qatar will receive a discount. Knockout matches are between $600 and $1,600. Tickets are currently sold out for most matches in the group stage. This year, championship tickets will cost on average $205.69, while the cheapest ticket for non-Qatar residents will be $603.36 for a regular game.