Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Dortmund, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and now Rio de Janeiro.

All great cities in fantastic countries, Germany, South Africa and Brazil.

But more than that, they are cities I have been in, and will be in, watching the best teams in the world in the biggest sporting tournament on the planet.

The World Cup, which kicks-off today, is more than just a football tournament. It is more than just an event. It is the dream of many people to attend at least one World Cup match. Most never get the opportunity. I have been lucky to have been to 20 matches including quarter-finals, semi-finals and the crown jewel, the final in 2010 when Spain defeated Holland.

This year I will be in Rio for the quarter-final on July 4 and then on July 8 I will be in Belo Horizonte for the semi-final.

International football is so different to club football ... and I say that as a rabid Manchester United fan.

International football brings together so many cultures and so many different people. The different languages spoken at a World Cup is mind boggling but the one thing I have learned at World Cups is that football is the international language of the world.

I remember getting in a taxi at Munich airport the day before going to the semi-final in 2006 between France and Portugal. The taxi driver spoke no English. I spoke no German. Yet for the lengthy trip to my hotel in downtown Munich we communicated about football ... especially when we drove by the futuristic and beautiful Allianz Arena, the home of Bayern Munich and where the semi-final was due to be played. My taxi driver was a season-ticket holder ... and a very proud one at that.

So many memories remain with me of the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

Obviously there are the games.

But then there are those other memories when something happens and you think to yourself ‘this is brilliant!’

Like the memory after Germany defeated Argentina in the 2006 quarter-final at the historic Berlin Olympic Stadium where Jesse Owens became a legend in 1936. The crowd, overwhelmingly German, were magnificent. Just hearing them roar their national anthem before the match sent shivers up my spine. And then after their victory in downtown Berlin the celebration was one of which the likes I had never before witnessed. Pure joy.

Another memory really stands out.

On the special bus to the huge Soccer City for the final in South Africa in 2010 I was surrounded by African fans. Like football fans all over the world they broke out into song. But I have never heard fans sing like this! Most fans are loud ... but out of tune. Not these fans. It was simply magnificent. I thought I was at a Ladysmith Black Mambazo concert.

Of course the World Cup is about the football and the players.

And what players I have seen ... Ronaldinho, Ronaldo (both), Zidane, Messi, Tevez, Crespo, Drogba, Figo, van Persie, Forlan, Schweinsteiger, Robben, Buffon, Pirlo, Kaka, Iniesta, Villa, Xavi, Modric, Henry, Shevchenko ... the list goes on and on.

And who will I see in Brazil?

Well since I will be going to a quarter-final and a semi-final I don’t know. But what I do know is that if Brazil win their group (and they should) and they keep on winning I will see them in the semi-final.

Brilliant!