STEPPING OFF the train and walking into Berlin city centre on Sunday was like stepping into a United Nations that works. It was a world that was internationalist, vibrant, united, optimistic. German, Italian and French supporters dominated, but most countries were represented, including two Scotsmen playing bagpipes alongside an Angolan drummer and a Turkish violinist. The mood was light, heady, joyous. It left me with a powerful feeling that grew stronger as the day wore on; and by the time I took my seat high up behind the goal it was overwhelming — that I must live to see the day England, or even better Britain, stages the World Cup.

It is fantastic that London won the 2012 Olympics. It will give Britons the chance to feel the pride and pleasure felt by the Greeks two years ago, and to see the cultural, social, personal and — provided it is well managed for the long term — economic benefits of these global sporting events. I was lucky enough to be in Athens to witness it, and felt even luckier to be in Germany at the weekend.

The Olympics has almost all countries represented in a multitude of sports. The World Cup is about the most popular sport of all and, though it starts out with most countries, only 32 make the finals and by the final night it is between two sets of 11 men.

But with television now such a force, even in the poorest countries, there is virtually no person on earth who does not know that Italy beat France and virtually all of us, for millions of individual reasons, were supporting one or the other. To my amazement, as a lifelong Francophile, I was supporting Italy for one simple reason — their fans throughout the tournament were louder, more passionate, more desperate for the joy that victory in the World Cup can bring.

There was a lot of talk amid England’s exit that they “deserved” to advance beyond the quarter finals. That is rubbish. In professional sport, as in life, you “deserve” nothing unless you, well, earn it. But I think you can make the case that England do deserve to stage the World Cup. A World Cup in Britain would, I am virtually certain, be the best ever. It might also be, as 40 years ago, the best chance of England winning it.

If the right to host it was won on the commitment of supporters, the FA would have a very good start. At the semi-final between France and Portugal, neutrals from many countries were pointing out how much better the atmosphere would have been had England been there. Many said the same at the final, which until the Zidane expulsion had an atmosphere that was too corporate, too touristy.

A number of myths have had to be revised. The idea of the Germans as insular, humourless and not the kind of people you want at a party: that one’s gone for ever. This has been one of the best parties of all time.

But just as German people have projected a new image for their country so, to the football world, have the English fans. They have been bigger in number and better in humour than ever before. There were more women than previously, which may have helped with the peer pressure. England fans also did their reputation good by the obsessive zeal with which they sought to get to matches other than England’s. In yesterday’s Bild newspaper, a young England supporter was quoted as saying that till now English people didn’t believe they could really get on with Germans. Now England and Germany fans have been swapping shirts on station platforms as they headed for home.

If this turns out to be a cultural change, the end of hooliganism as part of the England package, then perhaps the biggest impediment to an England bid has been dealt with.

We have wonderful stadiums in all parts of the country, with two of the best yet, Wembley and the new Arsenal ground, to be opened soon. We have a welter of experience in staging big entertainment events. We have good hotels in all parts of the country. All the “bits” would work, as they have worked superbly here.

We also have the best league in the world and, with many top Italian players about to come on the market amid the corruption case there, it can only get better. Players from the Premiership were responsible for 26 goals here, the Spanish league 25, Italy’s Serie A 22, Germany’s Bundesliga 20, the French league 12 and the Mexican league 5. That underlines Europe’s supremacy in football, as did the all-European semi-finals, and England’s dominance as the place best able to attract the best players.

As with the Olympics, though, what is required to win is strength in all the fundamentals of organisation — which we have — and the ability to navigate the complex politics of world sport and conventional diplomacy. What is also required is an absolute commitment from Government. Tony Blair has always supported campaigns to bring major events to Britain, including the failed effort to win the right to stage this World Cup.

As I sat on the train to Berlin on Sunday, I picked up the German tabloid Bild Am Sonntag where, lo and behold, there was an exclusive article by none other than Tony Blair headlined “Ein neues, positives Bild Deutschlands” — a new positive image of Germany. It was a rather surreal reading him in German, saying sport has real power to unite people and peoples, how stereotypes of Germany are dying, how English fans had gone home raving about the organisation, and how we would learn lessons for the 2012 Olympic Games.

As the journey wore on, and I started to doze, I was pondering what he might do when he finally leaves Downing Street. He is still young, has a global profile and largely positive reputation, phenomenal drive, toughness and energy, and great people skills. There are lots of things he can and will do.

But I wonder if he couldn’t be persuaded that leading the fight to stage the World Cup at home might be one of them. And if he’s looking for help on the strategy and media side of things, I might find time to help. Winning three elections was one thing. Winning the World Cup could be even better. Ask any Italian, or any German, this morning.

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