It was just another busy day in office when an email popped up in my inbox. It was an online survey from FIFA. I filled it in and sent it without much thought, only to receive a call a few days later. There was a FIFA official at the other end and I was told that 50 lucky football fans from five countries would get a chance to be a part of the FIFA Fan Forum that would be taking place at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich and I could be one of them. I was quite surprised by the turn of events and was thinking whether it was really a call from FIFA. 

But all my speculations were put to rest when I received an email confirming my selection two days later. I couldn’t believe my luck!
 
 

Brazil, where it all started 

It all began with a dream that I shared with five friends back in 2012 — to watch the World Cup live in Brazil two years later. We knew that there wouldn’t be another World Cup in Brazil in our lifetime and so it was an opportunity we couldn’t miss.

First we wanted to ensure we get match tickets to have the stadium experience. For that we got to work when the very first ticket sale window was declared open by FIFA, even before the qualifiers had ended. This meant we didn’t know which teams would be playing where. For example, we just knew that we would watch a C2 v C4 match in Sao Paulo. So we chose three matches in three cities — Sao Paulo, Curitiba and Rio de Janeiro — that we wanted to visit.

The matches we finally got to see were England vs Uruguay at Sao Paulo, Australia vs Spain at Curitiba, and France vs Ecuador at the historic Maracana — the mecca of Brazilian football — in Rio de Janeiro. Not a bad deal! 

However, as a die-hard Argentina fan, the only regret was not being able to see Lionel Messi and his La Albiceleste side live in action. But we ensured we didn’t miss the action on TV — from watching a match in a roadside eatery to sharing the excitement with 10,000 fellow supporters in the FIFA Fan Zones, we did manage to cheer for LM10.

Cup moments

Joining a sea of supporters as we walked in the freezing cold from the tube station to the Sao Paulo stadium to watch the two giants — England and Uruguay — in action remains a memorable experience. Posters, T-shirt graffiti, chorus of national anthems and, of course, selfies set the mood for the match. We reached the stadium early and managed to catch the two teams practise. Rooney, Suarez, Forlan, Gerrard — all were at a distance of not more than two metres... it was enough to set our hearts racing.

Our disappointment of not watching Argentina in action was well compensated by the experience at the majestic Maracana stadium. Though the match was between France and Ecuador, we (four among the six of us were Argentina fans) were in Argentina colours. We clicked ourselves in Argentinian jerseys at Maracana — our very own tribute to the Brazil vs Argentina rivalry. The prayer on our lips was for Argentina to be at the same venue a few days later for the final. They did make it, but....

One dream ends, another begins

So we did manage to live our World Cup dream over a 17-day sojourn, travelling nearly 3,000km by road across five cities while listening to a customised playlist from Kishore Kumar to Pancham da. If all that was a lifetime’s experience, what awaited me a few months later was surely too good to be true. FIFA conducted the email survey among all those who registered on its website for match tickets during the World Cup and picked 50 fans from five countries — the US, the UK, Germany, Russia and India — for a trip to Zurich and I happened to get second-time lucky.

I was among the last few to reach Zurich but had already got a sneak preview of what was in store, thanks to a WhatsApp group of the other Indians — three from Mumbai, one from Pune, two each from Delhi and Calcutta, and one each from Goa and Bangalore. My phone hadn’t stopped buzzing with the updates and photographs of the city, the hotel, the weather. But nothing could have prepared me for the actual experience.

Maradona’s match ball

I remember vividly the time when we got down from our bus at the FIFA headquarters. It was around 3pm and it had started to snow. The cameras, the selfie sticks, the pouts, the smiles, the ear-to-ear grins, the chill in the air, the excitement, they were all there.

The building itself was an architectural marvel that blended seamlessly into its park-like surroundings and the first thing that one noticed on stepping inside was the World Cup in a glass box, with all the previous FIFA match balls in the backdrop. It was a magical moment. Unbelievable! The feeling of awe was also tinged with slight disappointment, disappointment of not being able to see Messi lift the trophy. Yet.

The bunch of us were taken on a guided tour of the building. The first stop was the board room, where the FIFA executive committee and standing committees meet. The room is lit by a giant crystal chandelier whose shape is inspired by a football stadium. Next up was the meditation room with its glowing onyx shell and finally the FIFA merchandise store. To have my name printed on a FIFA identity card, to have writing pads with the watermark of a football pitch, a welcome kit with the red/yellow cards used by referees — it was all the stuff fairy tales are made of.

My personal high point was when I got to click a photograph of a 1986 match ball with which Maradona had played in Mexico — an incredible story of how an individual can inspire a team to win a tournament.

Home of football

The next day we were taken to FIFA’s marketing office atop a hill that offers a brilliant view of Lake Zurich and the old town. It was a day of hectic interactive sessions on topics as diverse as ticketing, fan fests, stadium experience, FIFA merchandise and licensing. FIFA officials explained to us in detail their operating model down to the process of amending a rule and the fans, too, came up with myriad suggestions and questions.

One German fan suggested that when two European nations play in Brazil, the match should be held at a time convenient in Europe as Brazil was five hours behind. Hearing this, I couldn’t stop myself from pointing out that football fans in India watch every match starting after midnight, be it the Champions League games, World Cup or Euro, and our country doesn’t even play these tournaments! 

The evening ended with a wrap-up of all the sessions and each of us got a bag of goodies — a match ball, a FIFA Adidas bag and a personalised Coca-Cola bottle.

Having my name printed on a FIFA label, a selfie with the World Cup, browsing through the rulebook — a visit to the Home of Football was about all that I could have asked for. 

The weather may have been freezing all through our stay, with the sun making a guest appearance on Day II, but our hearts were warm with memories of the beautiful game. Magic happens.

Rajarshi Majumdar, an ex-student of St. Xavier’s College, is a football fanatic and an ardent Kishore bhakt. When he is not busy with his corporate job in Bangalore, he loves spending time with his kids, watching movies and, of course, watching football