There is something about Kerala during a FIFA World Cup that simply defies logic.
India has never played in the football World Cup and, going by current standards, is unlikely to do so anytime soon. Yet, in this southern Indian state, football inspires a level of passion that rivals religion, politics and even cricket.
I am currently in Thiruvananthapuram, the state’s capital, and everywhere I go, football is impossible to escape.
Kerala has been in a celebratory mood since the early hours of June 17 after Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Messi is nothing short of a demi-god here. Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe command similar devotion, while local fans are also proudly following Kerala-born Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid, who is representing Qatar at the tournament.
For a few weeks every four years, football transforms Kerala into one giant carnival.
Across the state, rival fan groups are engaged in increasingly creative attempts to outdo one another. Villages are competing through giant cut-outs, towering murals, massive banners and elaborate installations celebrating Argentina, Brazil and Portugal.
The scale is staggering.
In Palakkad, rival supporters unveiled a 203-metre-long flex board. In Pullavoor, Argentina fans built a floating mini-stadium in the middle of a river featuring the entire Argentine squad. In Kochi, a giant Messi cut-out towers above the shoreline. In Kozhikode, giant images of Neymar and Ronaldo rise from paddy fields, while Kottayam has witnessed colourful banner wars at major junctions.
Thiruvananthapuram may be quieter than northern Kerala, but only by local standards.
Roundabouts at Barton Hill, Manacaud and Kuravankonam are adorned with giant football displays. Fans regularly organise motorcycle rallies, car processions and open-vehicle parades. In Rajaji Nagar, homes are painted in Argentina and Brazil colours, while flags and bunting decorate narrow lanes.
Wanting to witness the passion up close, I drove nearly 25km to Panavoor, near Thiruvananthapuram, where a group of youngsters calling themselves FIFA Panavoor had just completed a 61m roadside football display.
The project cost around Rs50,000, raised through contributions from about 100 football-loving youths. “Seeing our effort, teenagers in the neighbouring village Chullimanoor, built a 76m flex,” said 23-year-old Aminsha Haleel. “But we appreciate that. It shows the love for the World Cup in the area.”
Asifsha, 30, noted that cricket dominates most of the year. “But everything changes during the World Cup,” he said. The most enthusiastic supporter I met was 15-year-old organiser Muhammad Riyan. “We are crazy about football,” he told me with a grin. “We will do everything we can to support our favourite teams.”
Football arrived in Kerala more than a century ago through trading ports, schools, fishing communities and returning seafarers. Over time, support for teams such as Argentina and Brazil became deeply embedded in local culture, passed down from one generation to the next.
During the World Cup, entire neighbourhoods turn blue-and-white, yellow-and-green or red-and-green. Open-air screenings appear everywhere. Villages become giant fan parks.
The friendly rivalry between Argentina and Brazil supporters has become legendary. Families are often divided. Villages proudly identify with one camp or the other. Yet, beneath the banter lies a genuine love for the sport.
