Days after a 30-foot cutout of Lionel Messi went viral across the internet, Brazil fans retaliated with a taller 40-foot cutout of Neymar Jr.
Cut outs of Neymar Jr and Lionel Messi erected by the fans of Argentina and Brazil in a village in Kozhikode.
As the ball is set to start rolling in the Qatar World Cup on 20 November, Pullavoor — a village in the Kozhikode district of Kerala — is witnessing a fan war between the supporters of Argentina and Brazil.
What is unique this time is that at the centre of the war are cutouts, erected in a picturesque location in the middle of the Kurungattu Kadavu river.
Initially, photos of a 30-foot cutout of Argentinian football star Lionel Messi in the middle of the river went viral on the internet. Brazil fans have now responded to this by placing a taller cutout of Brazilian striker Neymar Jr in the same area. This one is 40-foot high.
Apart from this cutout, the Brazil fans have also put up cutouts of five World Cup trophies, representing the five World Cups won by the team.
This is an apparent dig at Argentina, who have so far been able to win only two World Cups.
Kerala, one of the more football-crazy states in the country, arguably has the highest number of fan groups for the two Latin American giants in Football. The tussle between Argentina and Brazil even gets featured in the realm of cinema and literature in the state.
It is unclear when the love for Latin American football began. However, it is assumed to be after satellite television became a household service across the state in the 1980s.
During all major international competitions, the state gets divided into two sides: Argentina and Brazil. The frenzy reaches the zenith once in four years: during the World Cup.
A glimpse of the love for football in Kerala and the rivalry between the two fan groups was captured by Copa90, a London-based media company. The video can be watched here:
In an interview with Media One, a Brazil fan involved in setting up the cutout said: “They don’t even have enough trophies to place here. But we are placing here our five World Cup trophies.”
Another fan alleged that placing a cutout was originally an idea by the Brazil supporters. “Placing a cutout was originally our [Brazil fans] idea. One among the Argentina fans intruded into our WhatsApp group and poached our idea,” he claimed.
Speaking about the number of World Cup wins, an Argentina fan in the village said: “Argentina has never lifted a World Cup since I was born. Our support for Argentina will continue irrespective of whether the team wins the cup.” Argentina scaled the World Cup summit in 1978 and 1986.
This time around, predicting the winner would be far from easy. Football fans will have to wait till the World Cup final, which is scheduled to be held on 18 December.
The Qatar World Cup is expected to have significant Malayali participation, considering the expatriate population in the country as well as the region.
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