Why is the City of Joy slow to catch up with World Cup fever this time?

It’s common knowledge that every four years, Kolkata is divided into its own Argentina and Brazil ghettos ahead of a FIFA World Cup. And yet, with the ‘greatest show on earth’ set to kick off shortly after midnight today, 11 June, the buzz is not quite the same.   

Social media is awash with photos and reels of the madness starting to build in Kerala and Goa but strangely enough, the mood is still subdued in the football city of the country. Graffiti featuring the troika of Lionel Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar is slowly appearing on walls in certain pockets of the city but the giant flags and roll-ups are conspicuously absent, as are arrangements for community screenings in neighbourhood clubs.

Fans and organisers National Herald spoke to agree that it’s not quite the Kolkata they know. Joydeep Mukherjee, a club official from central Kolkata, said: “Every World Cup, our lane becomes like a festival ground. We decorate it with giant flags, stay awake through the night for the late kick-offs and the entire neighbourhood watches the matches together with endless cups of tea. However, everything feels very quiet this time — there is interest but not the same energy.”

Echoing similar sentiments is Amit Roy, a fan. “Earlier, we used to start preparing at least two weeks before the tournament. This time, even the flags are not out properly. It feels strange because Kolkata is a football city,” he said.

It’s early days yet, what with sentimental favourites Brazil starting their campaign only in the wee hours of Sunday against Morocco, while reigning champions Argentina play their first game only on Wednesday (against Algeria). Things are expected to pick up a little by then, though many quietly blame the recent political distractions that the city has had to cope with, along with the unearthly telecast hours thanks to time differences. Not to be left out is a change in the way fans consume the games — with an entire generation watching livestreams on their phones rather than on TV.

‘’There is no doubt that the people of Kolkata, not to speak of our state, are still recovering from the aftermath of the Assembly elections. The dramatic results put the members of the erstwhile ruling party (Trinamool Congress) in disarray — and several of them played a key role in organising gigs like screenings etc. However, even if one organises such screenings, how many people can you expect for a kick-off at 3.30 am or 6.30 am?’’ a resident of Patuli on the city's southern fringes asks.

This, however, is not to suggest that the city will be immune to World Cup fever, though it could be scaled down a bit. Sanjay Majumder, a club secretary, pointed to the financials: “Putting up lights, screens and decorations costs a lot now. Earlier, we used to get sponsors easily but now, we will surely have to cut back.”

There are a few quirky characters in the city, like Uttam Saha, who lend a unique charm to these occasions. Owner of a modest advertising company, the 63-year-old Saha calls himself the founder secretary of Kolkata Argentina Football Fan Club and — believe it or not — has hardly missed a Messi game since the 2006 World Cup.

‘’You can imagine how ecstatic my family and I were when Messi lifted the cup in Qatar 2022. When most people said it was his last World Cup, I maintained that he would be playing in 2026 and win again,’’ said Saha, no stranger to media spotlight. Indeed, he leaves for the US on Sunday to be in time for La Albiceleste’s opening game.

His neighbourhood of Rabindra Pally in Ganguly Bagan, a congested area of south Kolkata, is once again decking up for the occasion. ‘’My fascination with Argentina began with my adulation for Diego Maradona,’’ Saha said in a media interview a few years ago. Ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, with Messi as Argentina’s talisman and Maradona as his coach, Saha converted his 2006 Fiat Palio into a mobile expression of his craze for the team.

The car remains stationed outside his fan club to this day, though the stickers of Messi and Maradona adorning the bonnet have long since faded. Characters like him have given Kolkata its unique character — and they are the reason the city can't be immune to football fever for long.