World Cup ‘humbling experience’

MOSCOW • World Cup finals are emotional.

There’s a sense of completion — the end of a journey that, in some cases, began years ago for those who live and breathe this sport.

It’s been two years since I followed Canada to El Salvador, Mexico and Honduras, where our World Cup qualification campaign ended.

But the tournament continued for those of us lucky enough to cover it.

And on this night — the night before my 32nd birthday — I found myself looking over a crowd of 80,000 spectators inside iconic Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, the site of Sunday’s World Cup final.

I found myself acknowledging the privilege it has been to cover this, my second consecutive World Cup, for you, an audience that sends me everything from vitriol to commendation on a daily basis.

I read and consider all of it.

I’ve been your correspondent for 10 finals since 2014 — including two World Cup finals, a European final and a CONCACAF Champions League final.

I’m reflective enough to acknowledge I never would have dreamed of attending even one of the aforementioned events.

After all, some people spend their entire lives pursuing World Cup trips and tickets. Others dream of attending just a single European Championship fixture.

I’ve reported on 24 World Cup fixtures from nine venues.

Like I said, Sunday’s final wasn’t just the culmination of another tournament. It was a reminder of all the things I’ve been fortunate enough to experience.

Knowing there’s much more to come truly humbles me.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this World Cup as much as I have.

I hope we’ll continue to enjoy football together in the future.

To those of you who have followed our coverage throughout this tournament, I raise a shot of vodka and say, “spasibo.”

Signing off from Russia,