In case you were in any doubt, the best World Cup ever has just come to an end. That's the result of a poll carried out by BBC Sport, in any case. The media have largely been in agreement with those voters and have been swept up in the excitement.

Brazil 2014 has been a great tournament and one of the best in recent memory for many different reasons: attacking soccer, friendly locals, an unparalleled atmosphere, the location, the weather, the fact that none of the problems that were so widely predicted beforehand actually manifested. Everything came together for the hosts and they put on an event that they can be proud of.

The question is, how was it for them?

The pre-tournament protesters pointed out that the ­country would have been better off spending on education rather than stadiums and they remain correct in their assertion. However, those protests died down as everyone got caught up in the spirit of the FIFA World Cup and the joy it brings.

It could be argued that while hosting the World Cup did nothing to alleviate the poverty that is the root cause of such social problems as drug abuse, violent crime and child prostitution, it has brought them into focus in the eyes of the international community.

I would certainly hope that the much publicized national campaigns and worldwide media coverage of the child prostitution in the north of the country would help rather than hinder the fight, but increased awareness has to be a helpful first step.

It's hard to know what happens when the travelling fans pack up and go home. What is Brazil left with aside from brand some new and revamped stadiums. It's certainly got a proven track record of now being able to deliver a top class international event on time and an even more solid reputation for tourism than it already had; not bad legacies when you have an Olympic Games in Rio in just two years.

A lot of the good that has come out of playing host have come in spite of rather than because of FIFA. Manaus still does not need a stadium and Brazil does not need the bill for the greatest show on earth.

The money could have gone to much better things - let's face it, sport is a distraction in the grand scheme of things - but Brazilians love a party and they just threw the best. Aside from winning it, this World Cup went much better for the hosts than anyone could have expected.