There has been one notable attendee at every England press conference at the World Cup – FA technical director John McDermott.The former Tottenham Hotspur academy chief has raised eyebrows by keeping a watching brief each time head coach Thomas Tuchel has faced the media.To his credit, McDermott is known to pay close attention to detail and recognises the importance to the role of the regular interactions with the press. He is also known to be extremely close to Tuchel, and is across all areas of England’s football operation.Tuchel mixes with Mexican locals Much was written about the hostile reception England would face in Mexico City but the reality – ahead of the game at least – was of a nation that welcomed the Three Lions with open arms. FA insiders were stunned to witness the biggest police presence they had ever seen outside their hotel, with machine-gun touting, masked officers on the back of pickup trucks all over the perimeter. However, locals were nothing but friendly. Indeed at one point Thomas Tuchel, albeit flanked by the team’s muscle-bound security chief, ventured out for a stroll to a nearby Starbucks, and was happy to chat to fans. FA insiders were stunned to see the size of the police presence outside of England’s hotelRefs enjoy Miami luxury It is Miami Vice, but not as you know it. The headquarters for FIFA’s referees at the World Cup is at a smart hotel in the swanky Floridian city. Whistleblowers have everything laid on, including their own chef, an Italian chap who is serving up handmade pasta each day as part of a balanced menu. While there are no white Ferrari Testarossas up for grabs or linen suits on display, the group do have access to pedal bikes during downtime and are often seen cycling up and down the Miami Beach boardwalk.Dutch WAGs watch shootout defeat from team hotel A differing approach by the Netherlands failed to pay dividends. Inside Sport watched their penalty shoot-out defeat at the Lowes Hotel in Kansas City, along with a number of the team’s devastated wives, partners and children. The Dutch party descended en-masse to the city which hosted their side, and on Father’s Day Ronald Koeman’s players were permitted to join them at the hotel in echoes of the infamous situation with England’s WAGS in Baden Baden. Many of the group with small children decked out in orange kits decided to stay at the hotel rather than make the long journey to Mexico, where Morocco prevailed 3-2 on penalties. The Netherlands were beaten 3-2 in a penalty shootout by Morocco, watched by their WAGs at the team hotel Rugby bosses’ embarrassment after drab launch World Rugby chiefs may want to look away now. The governing body’s much-trumpeted Nations Championship kicked off with just 16,465 watching Wales play Fiji at Cardiff City Stadium – less than half capacity and the smallest crowd ever recorded for a Welsh rugby international.Awkward timing, then, for CEO Alan Gilpin, who boldly declared before kick-off: ‘This is what we’ve always wanted; a connected global calendar where every match has meaning.’ That message had clearly not filtered through to the paying punters of the Welsh capital.Small mercies, however. Had the fixture been staged at Wales’s usual home, the 73,931-seat Principality Stadium, the TV pictures would have been bleaker still. That said, UK broadcaster ITV did the occasion few favours either. Partner broadcasters often go out of their way to flatter an event, yet the director served up repeated shots of swathes of empty seats – images that will have made both World Rugby and the WRU wince about the state of the game in Wales.Spare a thought, too, for Fiji, who are playing three ‘home’ games in the UK because they do not possess a stadium that meets the new competition’s standards.Russia still troubling Olympic chiefs The International Olympic Committee are said to be greatly emboldened by a successful General Assembly when many new reforms were passed allowing changes to the sports programme at future Olympic Games. It was also agreed to pay all Olympians a bond for participating in the Games. However, the one topic where agreement could not be reached is on when and how to allow Russian athletes to compete under their own flag and anthem. Each Russian attack on civilian targets in Kyiv makes the decision more difficult. Time is running out to get this sorted for the qualification events for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.How much is David Beckham set to pocket from his World Cup brand deals? Take on our quiz in our newsletter HERE.