MOSCOW — The must-have accessory at the 2018 World Cup is a passport-sized badge of honor that, for many fans, symbolizes the fulfillment of a lifetime’s ambition.
The badge, called a Fan ID, is an innovation introduced at the World Cup for the first time and is almost as valuable as a ticket. No fan can get into a World Cup stadium without one. It also grants access to perks like visa-free entry into Russia, free transport in and occasionally between host cities and discounts in certain shops and restaurants.
Part identity card and conversation-starter, it hangs from a FIFA lanyard around the neck of nearly every fan at the World Cup — a laminated credential to what could pass for the world’s coolest business conference.