The report says demand for World Cup shirts has surged in Bengaluru’s sports shops, with Argentina, Portugal and Brazil reportedly among the strongest sellers. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar remain major drivers of that interest.
The appeal extends beyond match nights. Spain’s number two shirt is also said to be popular because supporters wear it at parties, in gyms and around the city. In Bengaluru, a football jersey can be as much a fashion statement as a declaration of allegiance.
Supporters’ groups connected to Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona and Liverpool have helped deepen the city’s connection with European football. That club identity frequently follows fans into international tournaments.
The report says some Liverpool supporters back Argentina partly because of Alexis Mac Allister and Messi. It is a familiar modern football habit: club players become emotional bridges to national teams, giving distant tournaments a personal connection.
Yet Bengaluru’s football story predates the era of constant Premier League and Champions League coverage. The report places some of the city’s deepest enthusiasm in Tamil-speaking working- and middle-class neighbourhoods in the east, including Gowthamapuram, Austin Town, Murphy Town and Pillanna Garden.
In Gowthamapuram, a statue of Pelé reportedly stands beside a small community field. It was created after Brazil’s 1970 World Cup triumph, preserving a local connection to one of football’s greatest icons. Fields in Austin Town, meanwhile, remain gathering points where children play and older generations pass on the game’s traditions.
The report also recalls São Paulo’s visit to Bengaluru in 1989, a reminder that the city could draw major football crowds long before the rise of the IPL.
As the World Cup moves towards its decisive stages, Bengaluru’s most compelling story will be how global stars, club loyalties and neighbourhood football continue to meet in the same streets.