Buke amar Bharatiya rokto
Football e ami Brazil bhokto
(I have Indian blood in my heart
But in football, I’m a lover of Brazil)
These are the words inscribed on my ‘Brazil panjabi’, the one I got made especially for the FIFA World Cup 2022. Pairing the canary yellow panjabi with a classic Bengali dhuti, I felt like an ambassador of both Brazil and Bengal in Qatar. My attire was the same for each of my six matches at the World Cup, the last of which saw my beloved Brazil crash out in devastating fashion.
On the evening of December 9, the Education City Stadium in Doha was a sea of yellow. Everywhere I looked, I could see fellow Brazil fans, decked out in the most recognisable kit in the sport, urging their favourite footballers to take one step closer to a sixth world title. Among the 45,000 or more that had packed the ground for the high-voltage clash, there was no shortage of Indians. But it seemed to me as if the Bangladeshis had outnumbered us in subcontinental representation. And most of them were there to cheer for Brazil.
It was, as if, two cultures had converged for a few seconds through a few words
The author with the Brazilian couple that addressed him in Bengali Debashish Ghosh
I was touched when a Brazilian couple came up to me and complimented me on my dhuti-panjabi. My surprise went up a notch when they asked: “Apni bhalo achen?” (Are you doing well?) During my 17-day stay in Qatar, I had been interviewed by a handful of Brazilian media outlets, all of them elated at seeing a 53-year-old businessman from India rooting for Brazil with all his heart. But the couple and their question in Bengali exuded a different kind of warmth. It was, as if, two cultures had converged for a few seconds through a few words.
In the match, Brazil struggled to break Croatia down. It took extra time for their star man Neymar to sprinkle his magic dust on the game and the tournament. Victory seemed a foregone conclusion. Until it was not. With barely 90 seconds of extra time left to play, the Brazil defence suddenly froze, giving Bruno Petkovic all the time in the world to pick his spot. When he did, it took a cruel deflection off Marquinhos, leaving Alisson Becker no chance in goal. Croatia were level. Penalties were looming.
When the spot kicks were done, the festive mood at the stadium had changed into one of mourning. In front of me, a Brazilian kid was inconsolable. His parents, desperately trying to comfort him, were themselves shattered. A sea of yellow had turned into a sea of tears. I was not able to hold back, either.
I was left speechless on seeing Richarlison score against the Koreans
Richarlison’s goal in the round of 16 was one of the highlights of the World Cup for the author FIFA
I have been a Brazil fan for as long as I can remember. The stories of Pele, the memories of Zico, the dreams of Neymar have all fused with time into one grand obsession with joga bonito and the team that exemplifies it like no other. Even in Qatar, Brazil had been Brazil, dancing their way past the Korea Republic with such ease that it felt like a party watched on by millions. I was left speechless on seeing Richarlison score against the Koreans on December 5. His sleek finish at the end of a captivating team move was one of my highlights of the World Cup.
I was also there for Brazil’s late show against Switzerland, when a solitary Casemiro goal pocketed three points. Apart from that, I witnessed Portugal hold on to beat Ghana, and Belgium scrape past Canada in the group stages, before watching Morocco eliminate Spain on penalties, even though my excitement at that footballing miracle was tempered by my brother-cum-friend losing his match ticket.
Come 2026, I hope to have a different kind of experience in North America
The author hopes to attend his third World Cup next time around, in the US, Canada and Mexico FIFA
Having been there in Russia four years ago for four matches, including Brazil’s heartbreaking exit against Belgium in another quarter-final, I noticed some changes in Qatar. Even though World Cups increasingly look the same on television, Qatar and Russia painted stark contrasts in person. While the beer had flowed in 2018, Qatar 2022 ran us all dry. At first, spectators were not even allowed to attend matches in shorts, though the organisers went back on that regulation soon enough. As per the eye test, Russia seemed to accommodate far more specially abled fans, something I did not see as much of in Qatar. Having said that, the facilities in Qatar were top-notch.
Initially, I was housed at Al Janoub, at one of the many fan camps in and around Doha. Teeming with visitors and locals, the fan camps were a delight to live in, as seamless as the conveyance to and from matches. Although the metro did enter into momentary chaos after the Brazil-Croatia game. Even the world-class management struggled to deal with thousands upon thousands of Brazil fans moving at the same time. All disgruntled, all in despair.
Looking back, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Qatar, even though it ended in tears. After all, that is how the sport works. And life. Come 2026, I hope to have a different kind of experience in North America. And who knows? It may even end with a different result for Brazil!
(As told to Priyam Marik)
