There cannot be many football fans alive who do not love a good World Cup or European Championships, we can go further to the Gold Cup and the AFCONS - when you need a fix, you find a fix - and whilst there are different levels, these competitions give us quick access to a countries supposed best in the game.
However, Fifa's decision a good few years back to totally interrupt a well established European domestic calendar, in spite of the fact that there were very valid human rights concerns, not least infrastructure issues to consider, when awarding the last World Cup to Qatar, let many in the wider world of football absolutely confused. For those who like a flutter, a new sports betting website, probably carries decent odds on the next decision Fifa will annoy people with.
It had to be about money did it not? It is pretty much what everyone thought, and yes the tournament was a success - it certainly had its meaningful controversies - and as entirely predicted those controversies were replaced by footballing ones as Argentina's Lionel Messi finally lifted the crown he lacked, and we had hundreds of articles focusing on Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez's antics in the penalty shoot out. Oh, and a few after that involved the Trophy and a spat with Kylian Mbappe.
But despite the interruption for fans on a club level, and for clubs themselves, it seems Scottish Premiership sides did well out of it - and yes, it was about the money after all.
It has recently been revealed that Fifa ended up paying top flight Scottish sides a combined £1.66 million for releasing players to the tournament.
Celtic gained the most with a payment of £511,000, with Rangers following at £318,000. Hearts themselves made in excess of £250,000. The reported payments did not end there though, subsequently relegated Dundee United received almost £187,000, with Hibernian taking close to £177,000. St Johnstone pocketed close to £160,000 and St Mirren would have been happy with their £59,000.
In total, it seems Fifa paid out a whopping £160.91 million to a total of 440 clubs to temper the resentment that built up over such an illogically (political and financial) timed tournament, that was not actually needed given the other available candidates.
At an estimated payment of £9,388 per day, per player who was involved in the tournament, I will not be alone in wondering how much Fifa themselves, and their executives, actually made from a tournament held in a place that many never agreed with in the first place.
That does not take away from the performances of players representing their countries, nor does it take away from the spectacle that a World Cup always is, but it seems to again show that real fans are an inconvenience, real clubs are supposed to serve international pay masters - and if money rules in the current game, some of us just want the game back.
