The official Fifa World Cup Instagram handle has sent Indian fans into a frenzy, with a post commemorating both cricket legend M.S. Dhoni and iconic Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.
As the forward prepared to start his Euro 2024 campaign with Portugal on Wednesday, when his side beat the Czech Republic 2-1, the Fifa World Cup account made a unique comparison.
Both players have made the No. 7 jersey their trademark in their respective sport, and Fifa, football’s world governing body, used the opportunity to catch the hearts of Indian fans on the Internet.
Posting a photo of Ronaldo, the official Fifa World Cup account captioned it: “Thala for a reason”, reported The Times of India.
The phrase has gone viral among Indian cricket fans. It is used whenever a reference to the number 7 is made, as a tribute to the former India captain Dhoni.
Thala is a colloquial Tamil word, which means leader or chief. Dhoni is called Thala because he was the long-standing captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), a team based in Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai, since the first season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008.
CSK’s performance under the leadership of Dhoni has been unmatched. The team won the IPL title five times and also the Champions League title.
Nicknamed Thala, Dhoni is the beating heart of CSK. Dhoni dons the No. 7 jersey for CSK. He also sported No. 7 in his trophy-laden international career between 2004 and 2019.
Fifa’s post was limited to Indian viewers, and a clever tactic to garner the love of both football and cricket fans in India, reported the Hindustan Times
Dhoni played in this year’s edition of the IPL, where he scored 161 runs in 14 matches.
His impending retirement talk over the last two IPL seasons has created a wave of tribute towards the 42-year-old, and “Thala for a reason” is one of the trends that has become popular.
Dhoni and his love for the number 7 is well documented by his fan army. Over the years, Dhoni loyalists have flooded social media with posts about the former CSK skipper.
Earlier, Google also joined the “Thala for a reason” trend by honouring Dhoni in a heart-warming post. Multiple brands shared their takes on the “Thala for a reason” trend during the IPL season.
After calling time on his illustrious international career in 2020, Dhoni only features in the cash-rich IPL.
There was speculation about him retiring after the 2024 edition of the IPL. On the eve of this year’s IPL opener between CSK and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Dhoni stepped down as the leader of the Super Kings franchise.
Dhoni handed the captaincy to Indian opener Ruturaj Gaikwad. With seven wins from 14 matches, CSK failed to enter the playoff stage. The team finished fifth in the 10-team tournament with 14 points.
Ronaldo, who wears No. 7 for Portugal, will be aiming to fire Portugal towards a second Euro title, after their maiden trophy in 2016.
With the likes of Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao for company, Portugal are one of the favourites in Euro 2024.
