The ITV commentators are not seen as a frontline pairing, but their amiable patter is a joy to listen to. Give them the final already – or at least a travel show

The best World Cups are defined by unexpected heroes, exuberant eccentrics or unfancied outsiders who rise to the occasion. So, who’s Russia 2018’s Roger Milla or Totò Schillaci? The clear breakout stars of the tournament so far are in the ITV commentary box: Jon Champion and Ally McCoist.

The pair aren’t seen by ITV as a frontline pairing. They are not given the big games. But this frees them up. They’re not obliged to hype up England, to find endless superlatives for Ronaldo and Messi or pretend that Brazil play exciting “samba” football. Instead, Champion and McCoist are on duty for neutral rubbers such as Sweden v South Korea and Poland v Senegal. Matches like that are one of the main joys of a World Cup: yes, it’s a chance to see the globe’s top stars, but it’s also a collective effort to take an interest in unfamiliar rookies playing games the British viewer has no stake in. Suddenly, Croatia v Nigeria is viable Saturday-night entertainment.

At least, it is when you have Ally McCoist as co-commentator, a man audibly excited by the pure sporting pleasure of not knowing which bunch of 11 blokes will outplay the other. Unlike a couple of his BBC opposite numbers, McCoist has read up on the teams he’s covering and arrives ready to offer them praise and respect, rather than looking for controversy to whine about. He sounds happy to be there.

Opening every co-commentary with a cheery “Good afternoon/evening, everyone”, a la David Pleat on 5 Live, McCoist clearly loves the fans, the occasion and the football, regularly describing passages of play as “lovely”, “gorgeous”, “smashing” or, in the case of Colombia’s skilful midfield, “very, very easy on the eye”. Being paid to sit in a box seat at the World Cup is a privilege: McCoist knows it, and he’s going to make sure we enjoy it with him.

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Actually, enjoying it with him is veteran lead commentator Jon Champion, who describes himself in his Twitter bio as: “Currently acting as valet to Ally McCoist.” That sums up their flourishing comic partnership. Champion is wry, droll and slightly florid in his speech patterns, the ideal foil for McCoist’s puppyish glee.

As you’ll know if you’ve endured Sam Matterface and Lee Dixon’s tense attempts at you-never-get-a-round-in banter, portraying a joshing friendship on air is not easy, but Champion and McCoist evidently do get on. The classic ego clash, where the commentator hates being interrupted and the co-commentator wants to assert their authority as an ex-pro, isn’t there. These two are just mates on holiday.

Their big moment at this tournament, the summarising equivalent of a 25-yard worldie by a previously unknown Costa Rican left-back, was McCoist’s cultural guide to the Russian city of Kazan during Poland v Colombia, when Champion asked McCoist for his thoughts on the match’s host city.

“It’s unbelievable, Jon!” said McCoist. “If you put me in a corner and nailed me, it’s probably my favourite place on the trip so far, Kazan. Unbelievable. It’s come a long way since it fell to Ivan the Terrible in 1552 … we had a wonderful trip around the Qol Sharif mosque this morning, which is situated within the Kazan Kremlin. Just some stunning – absolutely stunning – architecture Jon, I’ve got to tell you.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘Absolutely stunning architecture, Jon’: Kazan’s Qolsharif Mosque. Photograph: Pavel Golovkin/AP

This was liquid commentary. There was a note of Alan Partridge buffoonery about it that, in fairness, isn’t usually so evident in Champion & McCoist’s work, but it was done knowingly. As the game went on, the pair turned the idea of one specialising in football stats and the other in historical facts into an increasingly snappy comedy riff – and McCoist’s sheer enthusiasm meant he could carry it off.

Time spent with Champion and McCoist is an old-school comfort. It gives me the same feeling I get from old clips of Barry Davies, or from merely reading the words “Tony Gubba”. C&M create a retro glow during live games. It’s not just McCoist’s positive attitude and avuncular Lanarkshire burr: Champion’s commentary has a lovely (gorgeous, smashing) rise and fall to it that recalls the “Extreme Measures, with Trevor Eve” scene in The Trip, where Rob Brydon schools Steve Coogan on how to give a BBC1 ident “a sense of homecoming”. Champion expertly does that with every sentence.

Twitter users have indeed demanded that Champion and McCoist be given a Trip-like travel show. A series where the two of them twin-room it around Europe, looking at churches and rocking up to Michelin-starred restaurants slightly too casually dressed, would totally work.

“This is a lovely little blanquette de veau from the Frenchman. Unbelievable, Jon.”

“You couldn’t honestly describe this Bordeaux as undrinkable either, Ally.”

Before then, today at 3pm, you have a choice. The nominal glamour tie in Group C is France v Denmark, so that’s on ITV. But on ITV4, where hard-working Australia take on the gifted, but misfiring Peru, Champion and McCoist are commentating, so that’s where I’ll be.

And I tell you what, Jon: I’d give them the final.