Kolkata: Amid a sea of fans clad in the colours of football’s traditional powerhouses at the World Cup in the US, a contingent of Bengali supporters in India’s iconic blue jerseys is standing out in packed stadiums, proudly making its presence felt.
Dreams Come True for Bengali Fans
A die-hard Mohun Bagan fan carrying a lifelong devotion to Brazil, Smarajit Banerjee (50) from Chandernagore travelled from Kolkata to turn a childhood dream into reality — watching the Selecao play on football’s grandest stage. So is Chiranjib Basu from Agarpara, who has been in complete awe since watching the Brazil-Morocco clash on Monday.
Banerjee, a freelance travel agent, said he has been moving around the world since 2018 watching cricket and football giants take on each other. “I was in Russia in 2018 and loved the ambiance there. I have also travelled to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. But this is the first time I have come to USA and I completely loved the ambiance in the stadiums here. Majority of stadiums are covered, toilets are super clean and the ambience has been electric,” said Banerjee.
Equally excited was Basu, who has been travelling with Banerjee and is experiencing football World Cup matches for the first time live. “I was a bit sceptical as the tournament has been happening on the backdrop of an ongoing war. But the security has been top notch. Even at the stands, none of the Iranian fans was taunted or teased. We thoroughly enjoyed the football and especially the ambiance at the covered and AC grounds, something I had never seen earlier,” said Basu.
Comparing World Cup Atmosphere to Kolkata Derbies
Back home, the duo said they rarely missed a Kolkata derby. But they said the atmosphere at a World Cup match was markedly different. “In a derby, support is usually divided equally between the two teams and there is a lot of heated exchange of words. But I didn’t see any tendency among supporters to attack or abuse one another here,“ said Banerjee, who is staying in USA till June 26 to watch two more matches – Tokyo vs Paraguay and Croatia vs Panama.
City-based businessman Siddhartha Dutta is also headed to US this Friday with his three friends to watch Senegal take on Norway in New York on June 22 and Portugal clashing with Columbia in Miami on June 27. “We are extremely excited for the matches. Three of us are starting from Kolkata and another friend will be joining us from Singapore,” he said.
Argentine Fans Plan Their Travel
Meanwhile, a dozen businessmen, most of them die-hard Argentina fans, said they will be rooting for La Albiceleste in big screens at home during the group stage before they board flights to travel to Boston, Miami and Dallas to catch the matches live at the business end of the tournament.
Kangsari Kayal, who has been travelling to World Cups since 2002, wanted to watch the round of 16 match featuring Argentina but had to opt for quarter-final and semi-final matches to curtail expenses. “Watching matches live in the 2026 World Cup is proving very dear. The expense is nearly three times that of the previous World Cup in Qatar. But if Argentina reaches the final, it would be worth it and more,” he said.
Babul Hore, who has watched the five previous World Cup finals, including the Argentina-France thriller in 2022, is unsure if he will be able to do so this year, again due to the cost factor. “The price of a ticket to the final match in New Jersey is an astronomical Rs 9.8 lakh. I am already spending Rs 9.4 crore in one semi-final and two quarter-final tickets,” he said.
