FIFA World Cup 2022 | Inside a football-crazy Tamil Nadu village

When Cristiano Ronaldo appeared on the screen during the World Cup quarter-final between Portugal and Morocco, Tamil Nadu’s Thoothoor and its adjacent villages along the Kanniyakumari coastline cheered enthusiastically. We were among the crowd.

As night falls in Thoothoor and its seven adjacent villages, screens turn on against the sound of splashing waves. 

Young men adorning jerseys of popular English and Spanish Premier League teams hold tightly onto Portugal flags, sound loud horns and cheer as the person in-charge of the projector fidgets with the Jiocinema application. 

There are sounds of football chants, many tiny spats between the viewers placing bets, and sudden eruptions of Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘Siu’ celebration. Most members of the villages – young men, old women, grandfathers – are up to watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 quarter final match between Portugal and Morocco at 8.30pm on Saturday. Every time Ronaldo gains possession of the ball, there is palpable tension and loud sighs. “If Ronaldo doesn’t win, I will be really upset,” remarks a passerby. 

Watching a world cup match in this scenic coastal stretch comprising Thoothoor, Erayumanthurai, Poothurai, Chinnathurai, Eraviputhenthurai (EP Thurai), Vallavilai, Marthandanthurai, and Neerodi villages is a spectacle. Each village has a minimum of two screens and a dedicated gathering. 

While cities might have their sports bars and States like Kerala, Goa, and West Bengal may have had their already established football fervour, Thoothoor and its adjacent hamlets, about 40 kilometres from the Southernmost tip of India, are no less enthusiastic about the sport. 

There are seven football clubs in this nine-kilometre stretch where the villages are located. For years now, a consistent and friendly rivalry exists between the clubs, all vying for top spots at popular tournaments that occur around Christmas and Easter each year. There are also unsaid competitions regarding decor. ‘Who has more flags’, ‘Whose cardboard cut-outs of Messi and Neymar are higher’, ‘Who cheers loudest’ — all determine the answer to ‘Who are the real football fans?’. 

This rivalry which has stoked efforts to best each other at the game, has ended up contributing football champions to India and Tamil Nadu. Michael Soosairaj who plays for the Indian national team and the Indian Super League club Odisha is from EP Thurai. Footballers Reagan Albarnas and S Shinu who have all been part of the Tamil Nadu Santosh Trophy team are from Thoothoor. A Jocksan Dhas who plays for Chenniyin FC is from Vallavilai. They are stars in their own regard, having villagers who intently follow their careers, provide advice and pray for their success during mass every Sunday in their churches.