KOLKATA: Argentina supporters across the city went into a party mood on Sunday night after their team’s victory in a roller-coaster World Cup final. It turned out to be a perfect climax to a month of nervous speculation and anticipation. The end was a fairytale one for Argentina fans in Kolkata.
Kolkata exploded in joy as Messi finally lifted the World Cup, defeating France in a tough final that could have gone either way. The victory came at the end of a day of prayers as Argentina supporters across the city kept their fingers crossed even as their hearts throbbed for Messi. In the end, their hero walked into the sunset with the cup.
The preparations had begun from early evening. And when Messi scored from a penalty in the 22nd minute, the city broke into a delirious celebration. The second goal by Di Maria flagged off wild celebrations across the city.
Whether it was die-hard Messi supporters wrapped in blue and white flags at special screenings or hundreds braving the chill to catch the match live across multiple giant screens put up across the city, the message was clear — nothing gets Kolkata more excited than a World Cup final with Argentina in it.
Sunday was nothing short of a carnival when the city celebrated the Lionel Messi versus the potential challenger Kylian Mbappe clash in homes, malls, restobars, clubs and street corners. For company, Kolkatans had relatives, friends, colleagues and even strangers whose only connection to the game was their love for LM10. For the record, the city overwhelmingly rooted for Argentina, the city’s preference for a Latin American dominance helping bridge even the Brazil-Argentina divide.
At Calcutta Rowing Club, where members and guests converged in front of the giant screen from as early as 7pm to enjoy the pre-match ceremony and the match with good food and liquor, the atmosphere resonated in a mini stadium. “Although a majority of members were rooting for Argentina, France was my personal favourite. We had a great match and a great evening with friends and family,” said member Swapan Dutta.
Few kilometres away at Regent Park, two local clubs had collected money to set up a projector at a field. The turnout was low to begin with but as Argentina scored, hundreds of locals began descending on the spot, to cheer and root for Messi and his men. “Messi and Di Maria will forever be my superheroes,” said MPhil student Satyaki Basu, one of the event organisers.
Several joined in the festivities at pubs, bars, restaurants and malls, catching the excitement of the match live with friends while enjoying drinks and snacks. “We planned a friend’s get-together revolving around the match and were at Whats Up Cafe on Southern Avenue since evening,” said Subhasis Saha.
The rest enjoyed the match at home. Saptarshi Chowdhury, a student of Presidency University, had come back to his Behala house only to watch the final with his father and the rest of the family. He was surprised when four friends joined him. “We had bought a new giant 70-inch screen before the World Cup and the final was worth every bit of it,” said Datta, adding that the match was followed by a sumptuous dinner of biryani and mutton chaap.
Source: https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMilAFodHRwczovL3RpbWVzb2ZpbmRpYS5pbmRpYXRpbWVzLmNvbS9jaXR5L2tvbGthdGEvZmFpcnktdGFsZS1lbmQtZm9yLWxhLWFsYmljZWxlc3RlLWZhbnMtaW4ta29sa2F0YS1hZnRlci1tZXNzaS1tZXJpc2luZy13aW4vYXJ0aWNsZXNob3cvOTYzMzAwNDEuY21z0gGPAWh0dHBzOi8vbS50aW1lc29maW5kaWEuY29tL2NpdHkva29sa2F0YS9mYWlyeS10YWxlLWVuZC1mb3ItbGEtYWxiaWNlbGVzdGUtZmFucy1pbi1rb2xrYXRhLWFmdGVyLW1lc3NpLW1lcmlzaW5nLXdpbi9hbXBfYXJ0aWNsZXNob3cvOTYzMzAwNDEuY21z?oc=5
