In one village, dozens of houses have been painted white and blue. In another, vast 10-metre statues of football star Lionel Messi have been erected in rivers and along roadsides. But this is not Argentina proudly supporting their national team ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final, where Argentina will face France, but instead is India’s southernmost state of Kerala.
India, and the south Asia region, is known more for its love of cricket and the countries have never participated in major international football tournaments. But every four years, in corners of India and across Bangladesh, football fever comes alive with the arrival of the World Cup. Without their own national squads to support, fans instead have developed decades-long allegiances to other teams; none more so than an enduring love for Argentina, the team of football icons Messi and Maradona.
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