Less than 60 days before the start of the World Cup, I am already panicking: All my attempts to get tickets to see Argentina and Lionel Messi at football’s greatest tournament have failed miserably.

I struck out in last year’s presale draw. I had no luck in February’s "random selection” window either. And when the last-minute sales phase opened earlier this month, I couldn’t even get into the ticket portal of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) despite logging in an hour early on three different devices (I blame its recurring tech disasters for that one).

Now I’m left with the consumer torture chamber known as the resale market: You don’t really know how prices are set or what exactly you’re paying for, but you’re guaranteed the pain of inflated fees. The cheapest ticket I found on FIFA’s official marketplace for one of Argentina’s three group-stage matches was about $2,200 — basically hospitality-level pricing. You can find cheaper options on third-party platforms like StubHub or Viagogo, but with the accompanying risk that the tickets never materialize.

This isn’t what I had in mind. In my naivete, the idea was for my wife and I to take our two kids on a World Cup road trip, following Argentina across the U.S., driving to intriguing places like Kansas City alongside thousands of flag-waving fans for whom football is more than a game. I don’t think Argentina will........

© The Japan Times