infraour days to the end of the 21st FIFA World Cup, cheers and compliments from varied stakeholders have been pouring on Russia for the successful organisation, so far, of the popular football showpiece. FIFA boss Gianni Infantino praised Russian President Vladimir Putin at a recent televised meeting for overcoming negative stereotypes about the country during the competition. “We all fell in love with Russia…

Russia has become a true football country. The virus of football has entered into the bodies of each and every Russian citizen,” Infantino said. Chinese Head of State also cheered the World Cup hosts. Warm remarks also came from Portugal captain and striker Cristiano Ronaldo who was quoted as telling Brazilian website Globoesporte “I think the tournament is very well-structured and the security level is very good.

I've been happy here”. The weather, snappy but colourful opening ceremony on 14 June and the 12 beautiful stadia on which matches were played have contributed to the event’s success. In the absence of racism and hooliganism cases during the one-month long tournament; hundreds of thousands of foreigners have been visiting, with many saying it has allowed them to discover a different, softer side to Russia. “People have seen that Russia is a hospitable country which is friendly to visitors,” noted Putin.