Brazil, you say? They know how to play football over there, don't they? But it's a long way for one so middle aged as I to travel.

So instead, I shall slouch into my leather armchair and view the tournament from this side of the Atlantic. I shall try and watch every game and will definitely make wildly inaccurate predictions too.

I do solemnly vow to give you a real sense of what it's like to not be at the World Cup. This is the blog where all the colour and atmosphere and passion of watching the world's greatest sporting tournament on a wall mounted widescreen really comes to life.

Monday 16 June 2014

Argentina 2-1 Bosnia Herzogovina

Now, I had every intention of staying up to watch this 11pm kick off (London time).

After all, Argentina are my favourites to win this thing, so it's the least I can do to be there for them when they kick off their campaign.

But I was a no-show.

The television was on. I was in the room, but I was out of it. Dreaming of an England victory against Uruguay I suspect.

I did recover consciousness in time to see the post-match analysis and the score bar along the bottom of the screen and see that my favourites had done the necessary, albeit less comfortably than I predicted.

But the good news is that Messi was on form, assisting the first and slotting home the second. With Iran and Nigeria up next, it is inconceivable that Argentina won't win this group.

So far so good for my tips...