Football fans have reason to get excited: we are only one year away from kick off of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which begins on 14 June 2018 in Russia.
 
Attending the FIFA World Cup is the dream of football fans all over the world, but for Venezuelan businessman Hely Garagozzo it is a quadrennial tradition! 
 
Hely has attended nine FIFA World Cups in a row beginning in 1982 in Spain, earning himself a Guinness World Records title for the Most FIFA World Cup tournaments attended by an individual (different editions)
 
He estimates that he has travelled over 231,000 kilometres to attend World Cup matches, which is equivalent to 5.67 full circumnavigations of the Earth! 
 
While the main goal of his travels is always to attend the football matches, he has been able to see many interesting sites along the way such as the Roman Coliseum, Iguazu Falls, ground zero in Hiroshima, and the Berlin Wall. 
 
“It’s the magic of football,” says Hely, “that transcends the field and transforms into culture.”
 
Hely carries a large Venezuelan flag to every game he attends, which can sometimes cause him to stand out in the crowd. “A lot of people know me as the guy with the flag,” he joked. 
 
Hely Garagozzo pic 1
In addition to the nine World Cups, he has also attended the U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2013 and the U-20 World Cup in Egypt in 2009. 
 
He estimates that he has spent over 144 hours watching World Cup matches. In this time period Hely says he has borne witness to 24 football records that Guinness World Records recognises. 
 
In order to verify his record, Hely submitted extensive evidence such as copies of his original tickets, plane tickets, witness statements, copies of passport stamps, photographs and videos.
 
Hely Garagozzo tickets 
Among his evidence was the most expensive ticket of his 35 years of fandom, which cost $616 and got him into the semi-final between Argentina and the Netherlands in 2014.  
 
Hely says his favourite World Cup was the 2002 edition held in South Korea and Japan because of the organisation, planning, and hospitality. 
 
Hely Garagozzo last 
Out of the 51 stadiums he has visited in his football-related travels, he mentions Allianz Arena in Munich and Maracaná in Rio de Janiero as among his favourites. 
 
Hely is now set to  travel to Russia next year to wave his flag in the stands, meet fellow fans from around the globe, and watch the top players in the world compete for football’s biggest prize.