Epic WC journey ends at Maracana

For Germany and Argentina, it was a tough journey to the iconic Maracana stadium, with a long qualification process and six games in Brazil required to reach the Final, according to website fifa.com.
For England fan Hugh Thompson, the passage was somewhat more arduous. In his 25th country and approaching kilometre number 25,000, the sight of the historic stadium in Rio de Janeiro was overwhelming for him. Thompson had been cycling for the best part of a year, fundraising across continents in order to touch down in Rio in time for the FIFA World Cup™.
"My last day I think was 170km and to see the Maracana in the distance was incredible," Thompson told FIFA.com in Rio. "My last 50km coming through the favelas, coming up the main road, it was amazing. Having been through 25 countries and to finally finish - with my mate waiting with a couple of beers - it was a great moment."
Thompson must have felt something akin to the German and Argentinian squads, rolling up to his final destination after a long and sometimes torturous journey with thousands of kilometres and hours of hard work behind him.
"When I was a young boy, there was always those dreams of going to Brazil," Thompson recalled. "Even just seeing [the Maracana] from a distance, it's the most incredible place. I was very lucky in that I managed to get to the quarter-final game [between France and Germany]. When I went into the stadium the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end."
Speaking in April, when he was completing the final legs of his journey in South America, Thompson thought the global finals would "remind people why we love football". Now, in amongst the Brasileiros in their native country, what is his verdict?