They say time flies when you’re having fun and rightly so. The 2018 FIFA World Cup
lasted for a month but now that last night’s WC final is done and dusted; that
sense of emptiness has creeped in, the same, weird feeling that we’ve all had
during the breaks and gaps during the tournament.
For most, if not all of us Goans, there is no doubt that we all
have a little football in our blood. Our folks and grandparents have told us
stories as we’ve grown up over the years, like Diego Maradona skillfully
gliding across the pitch and carrying his country or the Brazilian Ronaldo who
left fans across the world watching in awe as he tore apart teams with his
blistering pace, quick feet and powerful finishing.
The stories from the good old days when the monsoon rains would
pour down on the tiled roof of houses while entire families and friends would
huddle up together and watch the FIFA World Cup on Doordarshan, each supporting
their own country for whatever reason they felt apt.
Not much has changed in that aspect when you fast forward to
2018. The FIFA World Cup still has that charm, that special something that was
enough to allure thousands and thousands of Goans and bring the state to a halt
when their favourite teams took to the pitch.
South American teams like Argentina and Brazil along with the
popular local favourite Portugal were and still are some of the most commonly
and constantly supported teams here in Goa thanks to their domination of the
sport during the last 3 decades.
While the older generation would blindly support these teams
regardless of the number of players they know, the newer and much younger
generation were seen strongly backing the European teams like Spain, Belgium,
France and Germany and honestly, who can blame them?
With the rise in popularity of European football across the
world, it’s fiercely competitive leagues and the numerous star players have
made it the pinnacle of modern football. Also, let’s not forget the fact that 4
out of the last 5 World Cup winners were European countries.
But the World Cup fever didn’t just extend to just football
fans, it has also been a ray of sunshine and a glimmer of hope to hundreds of
businesses across the state in what would have otherwise been a rather quiet,
dull and typical monsoon season.
Among the subdued and usually quiet surroundings at this time of
the year, we passed though streets filled with flags of participating countries
donning the walls of buildings, the young and the old wearing vibrant jerseys
of their teams whom they so passionately support, posters of restaurants, cafes
and even nightclubs advertising for various offers and screenings on match days
to menus featuring dishes like Suarez Steak or Messi Manchurian.
Let’s not forget all the jokes and trolls that were fast
spreading across social media and WhatsApp, with kids falling down and rolling
on the floor like Neymar or locals heaving a hearty laugh to the fact that
players with names like Mario Fernandes and Cedric Soares played in the World
Cup.
In times like these, where the world is filled with hate, it’s
refreshing to think that something as simple as football could bring people
together regardless of age, caste, religion and ethnicity.
We saw different kinds of people sitting side by side at live
screenings, kids, teens and adults who’d usually stay up for club matches till
3 am or so, this time found themselves in the company of their mothers and
fathers who would also stay up till 1:30 am, at the edge of their seats
watching the late World Cup matches even if only to relive the feelings of
their younger, simpler days.
Over the past few weeks the saying that football is more than a
sport came to reality. We had something to look forward to every night, a
reason to put in just a little more effort at work, a reason to get out and
have fun, a reason for enemies to turn into friends, even if only temporarily.
That’s the magic of football.
With the screams and shouts, the feeling of despair and ecstasy
slowly fading away after last night’s final. We now return to our same old
schedule.
The schedule, which some of us, for the moment, can’t seem to
get back into comfortably. As the state of euphoria that the World Cup had left
us in slowly transitions back into reality, the question keeps ringing in the
back of our head: “What Now’’?
Some of us will have to wait just a few weeks more before
international club football like the Premier League or local football like the
I-League and ISL keep us busy for a few months, what about those of us that
don’t have enough time to get invested into club football but still love the
beautiful game?
We have to wait for another 4 years before we re-live the joy of
a World Cup again. Come 2022, the possibilities for Goans to watch and
experience a World Cup live will be far greater than ever before with the
tournament taking place just a 3 hour flight away, in Qatar.
However,
the tournament will take place in winter. What about our weddings? What about
Christmas? What about our family get-together? So many questions coming in from
all sides but all we can do is wait. 1588 days to be exact.
