We’re only 10 months away from the launch of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, which means that FIFA have finally opened up the ticket sale for the event, and now will begin a long process of a random draw and later a first come, first serve for those trying to get entry to the biggest sporting event in the world.

First, some details: The World Cup will be held in Brazil between June 12 and July 13. Around 3.3 million tickets will be available for the general public, most of them sold directly through FIFA. There will be 12 venues, some of them completely new, spread out around the country.

The list: Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha in Brasilia, Arena de São Paulo in Sao Paulo, Estádio Castelão in Fortaleza, Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte, Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba, Arena Amazônia in Manaus, Arena das Dunas in Natal, Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Arena Pernambuco in Recife, Estádio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre.

Six of the stadiums are completely new, but only two of them (the ones in Brasilia and Recife) have been completed. The final, held on July 13, will be played at the Maracana, which also held the de facto Final of the 1950 World Cup between Uruguay and Brazil.

Getting Tickets

So how to get tickets? Simple. Apply through FIFA.com and cross your fingers your name will be picked through the random draw. The first phase of the draw allows applications to be made between August 20 and October 10.

During the Random Selection Draw Period, football fans may apply for tickets at any time, it makes no difference as to when the application is made, as all orders will all be processed together. If the number of applications exceeds the number of available tickets for a given match and/or category, then a Random Selection Draw(s) will take place at the end of the RSD period to determine the recipients.

Prices

There will be other ways to get tickets if your name doesn’t come up in the draw or you’re not fast enough on the secondary sale. E-bay and others like it or simply heading to Brazil and hope for the best, finding someone near the stadium selling tickets, although that probably means you’ll be paying through your nose for those kind of tickets.

Don’t forget that Brazil isn’t the cheapest country for travelers as is, and the World Cup is going to be a more expensive period than the Carnaval usually is. Getting to the World Cup is never a cheap excursion, but it’s a once in a lifetime kind of experience that if you can afford it, it’s pretty much a must, at least to try and reach.