FIFA World Cup 2022: How Fans in India Celebrated Messi and Argentina Triumph

Indian
fans
from
the
football-loving
states
of
Kolkata,
Kerala
and
Goa
celebrated
Argentina’s
third
World
Cup
triumph
with
firecrackers
and
chants
late
into
the
night.

Screams
of
joy,
bursting
of
firecrackers,
shouts
of
‘Messi’,
blowing
of
trumpets
and
horns
were
how
thousands
of
Malayalees
across
Kerala.

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“We
said
we
(Argentina)
will
win.
Argentina
created
history.
Messi
ki
jai,”
jubilant
fans
were
shown
shouting
in
various
TV
channels.
Some
others
said,
“Neymar
came,
Ronaldo
came,
but
it
was
Messi
who
walked
away
with
the
cup.”

There
were
celebrations
on
the
streets
of
several
towns,
cities
and
villages
of
the
southern
state
as
the
South
American
team
defeated
France
in
the
penalty
shootout
after
120
minutes
of
gameplay
resulted
in
a
3-3
scorecard.

“Vamos,”
fans,
donning
the
Argentina
jersey,
were
seen
shouting
as
they
jumped
up
and
down
and
danced
around
with
each
other
unable
to
contain
their
joy.

Be
it
the
state
capital
of
Thiruvananthapuram
or
the
port
city
of
Kochi
or
Malappuram
in
the
north
of
Kerala,
similar
celebrations
by
fans
of
the
South
American
team
and
Lionel
Messi
could
be
seen.

Old
and
young,
small
children
and
women,
soccer
fans
were
out
celebrating
Argentina’s
win
by
dancing
on
the
streets,
blowing
loud
horns
and
bursting
firecrackers.

Some
were
too
excited
to
even
answer
reporters’ queries
on
how
they
were
feeling
and
just
responded
with
screams
and
incoherent
shouts.

Several
Argentina
supporters
came
out
on
streets
in
the
football
crazy
state
of
Goa
and
erupted
in
joy
after
the
South
American
country
won
the
FIFA
World
Cup
2022
final.

In
Goa,
make-shift
mini
projectors
were
put
up
at
a
number
of
places
for
people
to
watch
the
World
Cup
final.
After
the
match
ended,
a
number
of
supporters
of
the
Argentina
national
team
were
seen
celebrating
on
streets
in
Goa
during
the
night.

Politicians
including
Goa’s
former
deputy
chief
minister
Vijai
Sardesai
and
Congress
MLA
Altone
D’Costa
were
seen
supporting
Argentina
as
they
watched
the
final
along
with
their
fans
wearing
the
jersey
of
their
favourite
team.

After
the
match,
Chief
Minister
Pramod
Sawant
tweeted,
“Congratulations
Argentina!
Goan
football
fans
witnessed
one
of
the
most
thrilling
#FIFAWorldCup
Final!”

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Bharatiya
Janata
Party’s
Goa
unit
president
Sadanand
Shet
Tanavade
also
took
to
Twitter
to
congratulate
the
winning
team.

BJP
MLA
Dr
Deviya
Rane
in
a
tweet
said,
“What
a
spectacular
win
by
#Argentina
well
played
and
well
deserved!
Truly
the
greatest
of
all
times!”

Meanwhile,
supporters
of
Argentina
in
Kolkata
and
other
parts
of
West
Bengal
also
erupted
in
joy
as
the
South
American
country
emerged
the
FIFA
World
Cup
champions
in
a
cliffhanger
on
Sunday.

Jubilant
supporters
burst
crackers
and
made
rounds
of
their
localities
in
their
favourite
team’s
blue
and
white
colours
with
Argentina’s
national
flag
fluttering
from
their
hands.

The
Argentina
supporters,
some
in
tears
after
their
favourite
team
won
the
World
Cup
final,
were
seen
hugging
each
other
and
distributing
sweets.

After
watching
the
historic
match
together
in
community
halls
and
clubs
where
large
screens
were
put
up,
the
supporters
erupted
in
ecstasy.

Several
areas
of
Kolkata
and
other
parts
of
Bengal
were
awash
in
blue
and
white
flags
as
the
South
American
nation
won
the
cliffhanger
in
a
tie-breaker.

Kolkata
had,
in
2008,
hosted
Diego
Armando
Maradona,
and
has
huge
fan
following
of
Argentina
and
their
icon
Lionel
Messi.
Messi
scored
two
goals
and
then
another
in
a
shootout
as
Argentina
beat
France
4-2
on
penalties
to
claim
a
third
World
Cup
title.

Diego
Maradona,
the
late
Argentina
great
with
whom
Messi
was
so
often
compared,
helped
the
South
American
country
become
the
world
champions
in
1986.

Messi
achieved
what
Maradona
did
thirty-six
years
ago.
Some
of
the
ecstatic
supporters
at
local
clubs
and
community
halls
in
housing
colonies
said
they
would
party
the
whole
night
to
celebrate
the
victory
of
Argentina
over
the
European
country.

“I
only
wish
Maradona
was
alive
to
see
this
wonderful
victory,” said
Sujan
Dutta,
one
of
the
numerous
Argentina
fans
in
the
metropolis.

The
same
reaction
of
fans
were
seen
at
screenings
in
Bengaluru,
Mumbai
and
other
cities
of
the
country
as
Argentina
ended
their
36-year
wait
to
lift
the
World
Cup.

(With
PTI
inputs)