Russia fan tournament bringing countries together for their own World Cup

So far, so good in Russia. Fans have been mingling with each other with a warmth not always prevalent at competitive tournaments, everything has ran like clockwork from overnight sleeper trains to the Fan ID system, and all without a hooligan in sight.

At the centre of such precise organisation is the Fans’ Embassy Russia, set up to help fans from Peru to Saudi Arabia get around with ease and encourage as much interaction as possible. Russia is determined to show they are an open and welcoming nation, and so far, they are doing a sterling job.

One initiative that the Fans’ Embassy has implemented is a nationwide fan football tournament. Each host city has put on matches on well groomed pitches, with official referees, prizes on offer and even post-match entertainment to encourage fans from different countries to mingle.

“Our philosophy is centred around football democracy,” Elena Ekrina, co-ordinator at the Russian Fan Embassy tells Yahoo Sport. “Every host city has put on matches depending on what World Cup match is taking place, to get fans to meet each other and have fun.

“We spoke to every host nation’s fan association before the tournament and got them to set a team up before they came out, so we can get as many good-quality games played as possible.

“And they have been creative in the host cities too. Croatia and Argentina fans, before their game in Nizhny Novgorod, wanted to do something different, so we organised a beach football tournament for them. They absolutely loved it, and all went to party together that night!”

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20 games have taken place so far in the group stages. Moscow has worked as the administrative capital, but it is the other cities, not normally flush with tourists, that have really taken to the event.

In Kaliningrad, before England’s crunch clash with Belgium, there is tension in the air. A squad of Belgium fans have turned up in full kit, complete with shin pads, and are undergoing a vigorous warm up routine. There are only a handful of England fans there ready to take on the well-organised Belgians.

“Well, not everyone is as well organised,” Ekrina adds with a wry smile. “There is only so much we can do.”

Nonetheless, some enthusiastic England supporters soon turn up, and the referee blows his whistle – we are off.

“We had seen on Twitter that this game was taking place and thought nothing of it, but soon enough we had met the English organiser, and he said he needed players,” England fan Howard Keyworth tells Yahoo Sport.

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“We were not too keen at first, then we saw the stadium where it was taking place and soon changed our minds.”

The event is not just for fan-to-fan interaction. Local side Baltika Kaliningrad, a second-tier Russian side, who will move into the newly-constructed Kaliningrad Arena after the World Cup, got a fan team together to take on the English and the Belgians too, all played on the training pitches next to the old 14,000-seater Baltika Stadium.

“It is not about winning, of course, we just want everyone to have a good time,” Ekrina adds. “We Russians love football, and want to meet people from all over the world.

“Everyone has had an amazing time, and we intend to carry it on for the rest of the tournament. Spain against Russia, which has only just been decided as a last-16 match, is already arranged in Moscow.”

The announcers commentate on every move in enthusiastic vigour, the referees take it comically seriously, even brandishing a yellow card in extravagant fashion, for a minor foul, before fans all pose for pictures in front of the stadium, arm in arm with a European neighbour.

So how did England do in their two games? There was plenty of gusto, tackles flying in, but ultimately they fell short, suffering two defeats.

However, unlike the professional game, none of that mattered, as everyone continues to discover that the negative pre-tournament narrative about Russia’s ability to host the world’s greatest footballing showpiece may have misleading.

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“It is a simple idea that shows what you can do with some goodwill,” Ekrina adds. “We hope everyone goes home with a positive view of Russia. We are enjoying ourselves, and it seems everyone else is too. Football, it seems, is a good way of bringing people together.”