'Impossible to Resist Beauty': Brazilian Fan Eager to Visit FIFA Cup in Russia

The first stage of the pre-sale of tickets for the World Cup 2018 has commenced, and Brazil has submitted more applications than any other country thus far. Sputnik spoke with one Brazilian fan who has already made arrangements for visiting Russia next year.

Despite being oceans away from Russia, Brazilian fans are really looking forward to the championship next year. The South American nation lost its first place to Germany in the number of tickets ordered for FIFA 2018. 

However, Germany is practically Russia’s neighbor and German fans have a significantly shorter distance to cover to reach their destination.

But Brazilian fans don’t seem to mind having to travel across continents, as one enthusiast shared with Sputnik Brasil how he has already submitted his application and is making monthly savings to travel across Russia.

Businessman Mario Gasparini told Sputnik Brasil in an exclusive interview that the upcoming World Cup 2018 will be his fifth. 

“I was in France, Germany, South Africa, at home for the Brazilian World Cup, where I visited all the games of Brazil, and now I have everything ready and I will go to Russia,” Gasparini said.

He expressed hope saying that this time it looks like the Brazilian team will perform well and they might succeed in Russia.

According to Gasparini, World Cup fans are special people because the tournament happens only once every four years and only the best teams go through the strictest selection, and so World Cup matches always have a special atmosphere – friendship and unity despite the fact that the teams on the field are rivals.

“Of course, there are some exceptions, but in general everything is always very positive,” he said.

However, Gasparini said that it is important to start planning and organizing the trip in advance.

“Those fans, who really love this, begin to prepare in advance. For example, I already made monthly payments for my future trip. The World Cup is a journey that needs to be planned. You cannot leave the purchasing of tickets, flights, etc., till the last minute,” he said.

The businessman added that the football championship is also a perfect opportunity to see a new country as a tourist.

“It is impossible to resist the beauty of the cities where it turns out to be. I had such an opportunity in France, Germany and South Africa, especially during the breaks because they take place with intervals of a few days. This is an excellent opportunity for tourism, and I highly recommend it to everyone, in that way you fully use your investments,” Gasparini said.

He added that this is a unique opportunity to combine the “amazing joy that football brings and the cultural wealth offered by such a country as Russia.”

Russia will host the upcoming FIFA World Cup from June 14 through July 15, 2018. The matches will be held in the cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Sochi, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Samara, Saransk, Nizhny Novgorod and Volgograd.