Kolkata: Even as the clock ticks toward a scintillating climax of an extraordinary build up to the World Cup football final, a million hearts beat in distant Kolkata – a football-crazy metropolis in India. Over 16,000 kilometres separate Buenos Aires from Kolkata, but one deep, common thread binds these two cities together as the World Cup final on Sunday approaches. The Argentine Football Fan Club in Kolkata is seething with excitement and tension, waiting with bated breath for an Argentine victory and a Golden Boot for football superstar Lionel Messi.There is no dearth of initiatives by the club to celebrate a potential victory in a befittingly elaborate manner. Set up in 2002, the Argentine Fan Club in Kolkata is, in essence, a dedicated Lionel Messi Fan Club. An image of Argentina Fan Club. Photo provided by author.“We know Lio Messi will deliver. There is no power to rob him of an Argentine victory after the Messi magic mesmerised and enthralled millions of people in one match after the other as Argentina went up the ladder to lift the World Cup,” says Happy Saha, a key member of the club based at Baghajatin Ganguly Bagan in the southern outskirts of Kolkata. Happy and his elder brother, Uttam Kumar Saha, are the principal flag bearers who have inculcated this Lionel Messi cult across the city.The club’s devotion spans the entire year. On June 24, to mark Messi’s birthday, members cut a giant four-foot by three-foot custom-ordered cake. When the tournament began, a motorcade of 15 club bikers journeyed to the famous Kalighat Temple in South Kolkata to offer pujas to Goddess Kali – the revered deity symbolising strength and power – convinced that a divine blessing made an Argentine triumph a fait accompli. For the climax on Sunday, the club has lined up a series of evening cultural programmes. Fans will watch the match live on a giant 30-foot by 20-foot LED screen that has been active since the tournament’s opening day. “It’s a full-house draw every night when Argentina is on the fixtures,” an enthusiast notes.A centennial football legacyThis unbridled passion is not a modern anomaly; it is rooted in a deep historical obsession. Kolkata possesses a rich football playing legacy spanning well over a century, standing uniquely as the cradle of Indian football. While the rest of the subcontinent gravitated toward cricket, Kolkata’s affinity for the beautiful game was solidified in 1889 with the founding of clubs like Mohun Bagan, followed by East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting. The historic 1911 IFA Shield victory – where a barefoot Mohun Bagan defeated the British East York Regiment – transformed football into a powerful symbol of national pride and anti-colonial resistance. This deep-seated, generational subculture explains why iconic international figures like Pelé, Maradona, and Messi are revered as local deities, and why neighborhood rivalries seamlessly split the city into fanatical camps of Albiceleste blue and Brazilian yellow.Neighbourhoods divided in anticipationBack in 2022, when the Messi-led national team captured the World Cup, this same fan club was ready to deploy a massive parade featuring 100 bikers, four horse-drawn carriages, and a fleet of festive tableaux. However, the state government intervened and halted the gala. This time around, a more favourable government is in power, allowing fans to draft grander celebratory blueprints.Other neighbourhood institutions are gearing up for community viewings. At Nabankur Sangha, local supporters Basu Roy, Sayan Roy, and Arnab Bag eagerly await kickoff. Their clubhouse is draped in the traditional white and blue strips of the Argentine flag, flanked by garlanded cut-outs of Messi. “We are going to set up a new 20-foot cut-out of Lio Messi on Sunday,” says Basu Roy, adding that supporters are happily donating funds to cover the expenses.Meanwhile, on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, members of the Bagpara Club are preparing for a long night. “Most of our members are small traders who love football deeply, though they are sharply divided between Brazil and Argentina,” says club official Somnath Das. “The Brazil fans are crestfallen after their early exit, but the Argentine fans are far greater in numbers anyway.”The shadow of the 2025 Salt Lake Stadium fiascoDespite the escalating euphoria, deep wounds from Messi’s last physical visit to the city have yet to heal. On December 13, 2025, Lionel Messi arrived in Kolkata as the high-profile first stop of his official “GOAT India Tour”.Accompanied by his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, Messi virtually unveiled a 70-foot promotional statue and was scheduled for a marquee appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium.A poster of Lionel Messi with the World Cup football trophy in Kolkata. Photo provided by the author.Instead, the event devolved into utter chaos. Thousands of passionate fans turned up after purchasing premium tickets priced upwards of Rs 10,000. However, upon Messi’s arrival, the stadium ground was quickly swamped by aggressive politicians, celebrities, and administrative officials seeking personal access. Denied a proper view of their icon, the crowd’s frustration turned to anger. Ticket holders broke security protocols, stormed past overwhelmed police lines, and vandalised the venue by ripping out stadium seats and hurling objects onto the pitch.Messi was quickly whisked away to safety, but “Team Messi” immediately raised serious concerns regarding the severe breach of security protocols and the inappropriate, overbearing behaviour of local officials. The fallout was so severe that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued a public apology to both Messi and the aggrieved fans. Law enforcement agencies are still aggressively trying to fix responsibility for the illegal ticket distributions, the security failure, and the ensuing crowd frenzy.Rs 10-crore statue controversy and political falloutThe 70-foot (21-metre) fiberglass and iron monument of Messi, which the superstar had virtually inaugurated, has transitioned from a landmark into an embarrassing political liability. Originally touted as the world’s tallest statue of a footballer, it cost approximately Rs 10 crore ($1.2 million USD) to construct. Yet, on June 1, 2026 – just five months after its grand installation – it was officially dismantled and removed.Local residents in the Lake Town area had reported that the colossal structure was swaying precariously in the wind during pre-monsoon storms. A subsequent technical review by the state Public Works Department (PWD) revealed that the statue’s centre of gravity was severely misaligned and its foundation bolts were dangerously defective, making it an immediate public safety hazard. It was quietly moved to a PWD storage warehouse in Baguiati, where it currently lies horizontally under heavy, continuous police escort to prevent further vandalism or theft.A recent political shift of power in West Bengal has further intensified the legal battles surrounding this project. Satadru Dutta, the primary promoter and organiser of the “G.O.A.T. Tour,” has filed a massive Rs 100-crore defamation and damages lawsuit against the former West Bengal sports minister, Aroop Biswas. The lawsuit alleges extensive contractual violations, extortion regarding VIP access passes, and general mismanagement that directly triggered the Salt Lake Stadium violence. Additionally, the event’s organiser filed an FIR against the former minister alleging that 22,000 stadium tickets were diverted to the black market.Looking to the futureNow, passionate fans are advocating for a respectful, structurally sound restoration of the monument at New Town’s spacious Eco Park. The relocation has been officially confirmed by the state health minister and Bidhannagar MLA, Sharadwat Mukherjee, who noted that the vast, open fields of Eco Park provide the necessary clearance for a structure of this magnitude. However, patience is required. “Monsoon is not the time to undertake such a huge engineering task,” Dr. Mukherjee stated. “We will have it done at a better time, and in a far better way.”As Kolkata prepares to stay awake for Sunday’s final, the fans retain one ultimate collective wish: for Lionel Messi to continue playing for another four years to grace the 2030 FIFA World Cup. As one club member put it: “The way the superstar races up and down the field for 120 minutes, continuing for another four years is no big deal for him. We will stay awake to see that day.”And what if Argentina loses? Uttam Saha, Founder Secretary of Argentina Football Fan Club, “we are not factoring in a defeat, going by the game Argentina has played through the tournament and particularly Messi’s stellar performance. ““But of course, there is win and defeat that no one can predict. We have settled for a thumping victory and can’t think beyond that,” said Saha.Subrata Nag Choudhury is a senior journalist from Kolkata.