Blazer is one of the three FIFA members from the CONCACAF federation - the Caribbean, north and central America - whose votes are so vital to England's hopes.

The trio, including Jack Warner and Rafael Salguero usually vote as a block, and if they do not back England then their 2018 hopes are as good as over. It is understood they will not make a decision until just before the vote in Zurich next Thursday.

For those reasons, a lengthy description - with pictures - of Blazer's visit to Putin put on his blog this morning will have had England bid leaders choking on their cornflakes.

Blazer, from the USA, wrote: "It turned out to be a very special experience.

"Genial welcomes continued until at one moment, he looked at me with a very serious gaze and said, without cracking a smile, 'You know, you look like Karl Marx!'

"I could have responded to his observation in any of a dozen unpredictable ways. Instead, I simply winked at him and said, 'I know'.

"This brought an immediate response with him lifting his right arm up in the air and thrusting it forward to give me my first high five from a prime minister.

"This began a half-hour exchange of wit, charm and effective communications."

Putin then shocked Blazer by mentioning the FIFA member's personal blog - and asked him if he would include photos from his own trips, to which the FIFA member happily agreed.