From Russia with love, real, unexpected love. The Russians haven’t gone home. They are home. That’s the point. Against every cynical odd, they have turned this World Cup into a home from home.

Everyone’s welcome. Everyone’s happy to stay. And almost everyone not associated with Croatia will miss the Russians’ involvement on the pitch. Such a statement was unthinkable before the tournament kicked off. In graphic terms, the Russians were the football equivalent of stomach cramps. We all had to endure them for a bit until they dissipated. But they didn’t go away. They hung around until the quarter-finals, losing to Croatia in a cruel penalty shootout after the game ended 2-2.

But the memories will live on. They reached their their first quarter final since 1970 (when they took part as the Soviet Union.) But in the short-term, they’ll be a nagging sense of what might have been. They were a penalty kick away from reaching their first semi final since 1966.

In time, however, the hosts should reflect on a job well don. They confounded the critics on every pitch, venue and fan zone across the vast country. At the start of the tournament, they were written off as a joke, an ugly punchline that didn’t seem particularly funny. Political tensions with the United States, a diplomatic standoff with the British and the threat of rampant hooliganism encouraged many supporters to stay away. On the pitch, the Russians were mocked for being the worst side in their nation’s history. They arrived on the back of a seven-match winless streak, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament. Nobody gave them a chance.

Instead they qualified from a tough group, defeated Spain in the round-of-16 and went ahead against Croatia in the quarter-final. The goal came from Denis Cheryshev, one of the hidden gems of the World Cup. He ended up with four, not enough for the Golden Boot, but perhaps enough to attract a wealthy suitor. Aleksandr Golovin, such a quick, intelligent No 10, announced himself in the curtain raiser against Saudi Arabia and grew in stature as the tournament progressed. He, too, will encourage club owners to reach for the cheque books.

In the end, Croatia’s dogged tenacity and experience prevailed in the shootout. Their chances against England are for another day. For now, it’s time to farewell a nation that somehow delivered a team and a tournament to be proud of.

Russia didn’t win, but their reputation has gone through the roof. All things considered, that’s a minor miracle.

Neil Humphreys

Singapore’s best selling author and Football columnist