FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 | An improbable relationship that has overcome many obstacles
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has highlighted the deep, unexpected cultural connection between South Asian fans and the Argentine national football team. Despite the geographic distance, fans in India and Bangladesh have adopted Argentina as their own, driven by the legacies of Maradona and Messi.
Why it matters
It illustrates the power of global sports culture to transcend borders and create shared identities in regions with little historical or cultural overlap.
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.
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