By the time Argentina’s players emerged from the tunnel on Wednesday evening, familiar songs had already begun rolling around the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The crowd came from Buenos Aires and Cordoba, from Rosario and Mendoza.But they also came with unmistakably different accents from Kolkata and Dhaka, from Kochi and Varanasi, from South Asian immigrant neighbourhoods across the United States.Every World Cup creates adopted nations. Few have ever been adopted with the devotion that Argentina inspires in South Asia.The relationship has always seemed improbable. Nearly 16,000 kilometres separate Buenos Aires from Dhaka or Thiruvananthapuram. There is little shared history, little common language and few cultural overlaps.Yet every four years, countless homes across India and Bangladesh become temporary Argentine territory. Streets fill with blue-and-white flags, children paint their faces, neighbourhoods get together to pray for Diego Maradona and now Lionel Messi.
An Argentina fan spotted atop a traditional fishing boat, gazing toward the Vizhinjam International Sea Port and a massive cutout of the Argentine football icon Lionel Messi, in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, July 12, 2026. The coastal village, known for its football fandom erupted in celebration following the defending champion Argentina's victory that secured its spot in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals.
