Every FIFA World Cup, football fans in Kerala's coastal town of Chellanam gather for a special ritual: catching a glimpse of a football signed by Lionel Messi.
The prized memorabilia, owned by the Argentina Fans Chellanam Football Club, is brought out of the clubhouse only during the World Cup, turning it into one of the focal points of the town's celebrations. And this World Cup is no different, as hundreds of fans turned up for a rally from South Chellanam to Kandakkadavu to see the autographed ball and celebrate their love for Argentina and Messi.
On Sunday, the coastal town was awash in Argentina's blue and white as fans wearing jerseys gathered around the ball, many photographing the memorabilia before heading to a giant-screen venue to watch the World Cup matches.
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Peter Jithin, president of Argentina Fans Chellanam Football Club, recalls the unlikely chain of events that brought the treasured keepsake to Chellanam.
“During the 2018 World Cup, we erected a 35-foot cutout of Messi, but strong monsoon winds brought it down. People standing nearby immediately came together to put the cutout back up. Our parish priest shared a video of the effort, which got entered in a fan reel competition conducted by Barca. We won the contest after receiving the highest number of views and likes, and the prize was this autographed football,” he explains.
