Kolkata’s connection with football predates Messi by generations. The fierce rivalry between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal has created a city comfortable with argument, identity and inherited loyalties.
For decades, Brazil occupied much of the emotional space, particularly after Pele’s visit and Diego Maradona’s influence on a later generation. But the report says Argentina’s colours now appear on streets once dominated by Brazil’s green and yellow, with Messi joining Maradona as the central figure of a powerful football tradition.
That passion was reportedly tested during Argentina’s match against Cape Verde. At Amartya Sen Udyan, about 300 supporters gathered before dawn, watching despite rain and a 3.30am kick-off.
The report describes Lisandro Martinez’s extra-time strike as the decisive moment, followed by a city-wide “MAY-SI!” chant. The scene captures Kolkata’s particular style of fandom: communal, theatrical and willing to sacrifice sleep for a national team many supporters have never visited.
Debjoy Biswas, a Kolkata sports photographer, explained the attraction of seeing Messi in person: “On TV, you see his on-the-ball movement and his goal celebrations, but live, you get to see what he does off the ball too: his anticipation, his awareness of space.”
With Messi’s international future increasingly under discussion, every Argentina match carries added weight. The next test will not simply be about qualification or silverware; in Kolkata, it will be another public celebration of a football bond that now stretches from family homes to packed parks.