Miguel Delaney's review of the year: World Cup carnival

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A walk through the Copacabana at any point during the first round of the World Cup, when it was filled with every type of fan and a great atmosphere. While that isn't to overlook the problems that tournament did have, that kind of carnival is precisely what the World Cup should be about. A brilliant communal feeling. Hard to imagine a better setting - and one we mightn't be able to experience until 2026.

Sportsperson of the year

Diego Simeone - worked as close to a miracle as you can get in the modern game.

Hope for 2015

Football to be less conditioned by economics, and for the extreme wealth it generates to have more beneficial societal impact, is wishful isn't it?