The big guns have been wheeled out for England’s 2018 World Cup bid, with David Cameron deciding that a three-day presence in Zurich might be worth the effort to try and secure the FIFA vote.

It is unknown whether Monday night’s BBC Panorama documentary alleging corruption behind the scenes at FIFA will have a detrimental effect on the England bid, although Cameron neatly sidestepped any questions regarding the matter and is focused on the job in hand.

“I have got one focus here and that is to try to bring the World Cup home for England,” he told BBC Sport.

“I am going to be pressing on them the brilliance of English football. That is going to be the concern, nothing else.”

“I think we have got an incredibly strong case – the best technical bid. We can make the best commercial success of the World Cup.  

“Also, if we want to enlarge the audience for football worldwide, I think England 2018 is the best way to do that. We will be making all those arguments.

“Britain is passionate about football. We can put on a really great show.”