Germany favourites to repeat World Cup success four years on

A World Cup season usually puts a spring in the step of most football fans even if the decision to head to Russia next summer has been clouded by controversy since they beat England as well as joint-bids from Belgium and Holland and Portugal and Spain to host the tournament.

Nearly seven years have passed since the decision and still the rows rumble on, stimulated by disgraced former Fifa president Sepp Blatter who claimed the agreement to go with Russia was made even before any voting had taken place.

However, while the quality of international football is on the wane - just look at Portugal's turgid Euro 2016 success compared to the brilliance of last season's Champions League - there is still nothing quite like a World Cup for wall-to-wall coverage.