Putin’s Cup?

Those Games, grotesquely rigged by doping, showed how much the Russian president wants to be associated with sporting glory – but this World Cup will be very different in one crucial way, given the hapless state of the host team.

When Fifa released its latest rankings last week, Russia were 70th, below Guinea and the Cape Verde Islands – a figure that, even if skewed by friendlies in the past two years, also reflects the steady slide of a national team that has not won a tournament match since 2012.

A draw with Turkey in the final warmup game last week did little to raise expectations in a squad reliant on an ageing Igor Akinfeev in goal and forced to recall Sergei Ignashevich, a 38-year-old who had retired from international football, to fill in after an injury crisis in defence.

England could not beat them at Euro 2016, but Wales and Slovakia did – and then two players, Aleksandr Kokorin and Pavel Mamaev, had to deny that they drowned their sorrows in €250,000 of champagne at a nightclub in Monte Carlo. The damage was already done, according to Manuel Veth, who edits the Futbolgrad website, and has written extensively on the game in Russia.

‘‘Failure at this World Cup won’t come as any shock to fans in Russia,’’ Veth says. ‘‘I was at the Confederations Cup last year when they won only one game [against New Zealand]. There was a sense that these guys are a flawed generation, overpaid, not really caring about playing for their country.’’

Perhaps the fear of humiliation can save Russia from becoming only the second hosts, after South Africa in 2010, to fail to reach the knockout rounds. The draw has been kind, with an opening game against Saudi Arabia. The likelihood of defeat to Uruguay means it should come down to an elimination tie versus Egypt and, perhaps, Mohamed Salah.

A successful host nation can give the tournament zest, though it is not necessary. Veth says that, even if Russia stumble, he expects plenty of enthusiasm, a party, though one that will inevitably leave a hangover given the costs.

Soaring sums spent on stadium construction have thrown fresh light on alleged corruption in Russia, which, Veth says, is the topic discussed more than any other on his visits to the country. ‘‘Ask them about racism in football, about doping in sport, and they will ask why you are attacking them, and their national pride, when the real target should be the corruption, the money being stolen from their pockets,’’ he says.

Who pays for a tournament is always the headache left when the Fifa circus packs up yet, outside

Russia, who will care about that in six weeks, six months? We will wonder only whether it has been a great football tournament and which names will be added to the Wall of Champions in that museum in

Zurich.

Putin’s World Cup?

Well, his image will not adorn the next, updated version of that film. Perhaps it will be Brazil atoning for their nightmare of 2014, or a resurgent Spain, or Germany retaining their trophy or Messi finally matching Maradona to win a World Cup.

If there are two World Cup stories – on the pitch, and the grubby finance and politics – it felt deeply refreshing last week to sit in a dark room and be immersed in the tears, the joy, the drama, the despair and glory.

As I got up to dash for a flight, the Colombian woman stayed in her seat. As the door slid open, and the light came in, she turned to the attendant.

‘‘Can I stay and watch it again?’’ she said.

Why leave? This was football as it should be, a wondrous escape from life. – The Times