Why All of India Was Awake at 3 AM: Inside the Country’s FIFA World Cup Obsession
India doesn't have a football team anywhere near a World Cup. It never has. And yet, in the days leading up to the FIFA World Cup 2026 final between Argentina and Spain, "World Cup final time IST," "Messi last match," and "Argentina vs Spain live" were among the most searched terms across the country. Streets in Kolkata were painted in blue-and-white Argentina flags. Kerala's backwaters had banners of Lionel Messi bigger than local election hoardings. Goa's beach shacks played the match on giant screens at 12:30 AM local time, packed like it was a Saturday night in Buenos Aires rather than a sleepy Indian coastal town.
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