World Cup diary, day 25: England in the big city on the verge of history

It has finally sunk in. Working so much and travelling great distances means all my focus has been on the immediate task at hand at each match I have attended.

You go from media centre to media centre, train to train, it all blends into one. There is no time to dwell on the narrative of each match in too great a detail, as it is on to the next one.

The latter stages of the World Cup provide journalists with welcome relief, with several days in between games ensuring some rest, and reflection, can be had.

And, ahead of England’s first World Cup semi final in 28 years in Moscow, the scale of England’s achievement has finally dawned on me – it may well actually come home, and I could not be more excited.

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England fans have been arriving in dribs and drabs in the Russian capital for a few days now, with ones here beginning their clamber for the few official tickets left.

The queue was reasonably substantial at the FIFA Ticketing Centre, but nothing out of the ordinary. There was quite an uneasy feel to the area, with touts circling with tickets to sell and, as they were not being taken up on their offer, they were getting rather pushy.

It was finally time to head to Red Square and get a view of the famous Saint Basil’s Cathedral. Many people had the same idea, with a photograph opportunity rather difficult with everyone posing for pictures in any decent spot.

The atmosphere was a little flat on the square itself, with a fan football tournament taking up most of the space, while other sideshows failed to attract the any form of crowd.

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One amazing aspect to Moscow I had noticed in previous fleeting visits is the sheer volume of Mexicans in the city. A sea of green still wanders up and down Nikolskaya Street just off Red Square, content to watch games in Fan Zones, with no inclination of searching for expensive tickets – they are just there for the atmosphere.

Soon enough I spot the England fans, enjoying themselves on the pedestrianised Nikolskaya thoroughfare. A small pocket of Croatians joined in, but the mood stayed relaxed, with no police presence needed.

Many of the Croatians I have met on this trip are in fact Australian, of Croatian descent – that has added to the camaraderie with the England fans no end.

One day to go. There may not be a great number of fans here, or any atmosphere to write home about, but still, I cannot wait. Croatia have a great deal of talent in the ranks, but they are more than beatable, which makes the excitement all the more hard to contain.

The Luzhniki Stadium will be a fitting setting, the site where Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties to win a third European Cup crown. England’s achievement, should they get the better of Croatia, will be equally as impressive.