From Kansas to Dhaka: The shared pulse of World Cup

The passion for football in Bangladesh�"a country that is light years away from even qualifying�"runs deep. From selling land to purchase and flaunt a kilometre-long flag, to taking out loans to wear the authentic jersey of a favourite team, football fever grasps every living soul in Bangladesh belonging to all walks of life. Every four years, as the World Cup arrives, 200 million people simultaneously hit the brake pedal on their regular lives, and this tournament becomes life. A bittersweet, historic rivalry among friends and family regarding the superiority of their favourite teams, professional football-analyst-style analysis regarding FIFA’s favouritism, and midnight pizza hopping become the daily routine throughout the month.

Even though Bangladesh doesn’t participate in the tournament directly, millions of Bangladeshi souls participate through their passionate spirit, resonating on the same frequency as the teams playing. The advent of technology has made it simpler for millions to connect with the rest of the world. For instance, in 1986, when the greatest of all time, Diego Maradona, scored the ‘Goal of the Century’ and showed the world what the ‘Hand of God’ could do, Bangladesh wasn’t connected to the world in the same fashion as it is today. Now, when questioned by a Bangladeshi journalist, coaches and players from countries thousands of miles away gladly recognise who Bangladesh is. 

As this writer was walking to the stadium with thousands of others to enjoy a quarter-final match of his favourite team in Kansas City�"thousands of miles away from his motherland�"one aspect became more transparent: the passion, dedication, and eventual celebration of those who are direct participants and those from Bangladesh cannot be differentiated. When the GOAT, Lionel Messi, was dribbling past the opposition's defenders one after another, the roar in the stadium in Kansas City was perfectly in tune with the intense love from millions in Dhaka, Chittagong, or Khulna.

Although Bangladesh does not participate directly, Bangladesh is there in celebration, in discussion, and in the minds of those participating. It is visible from how the coaches and players react when they hear the word Bangladesh. When the highly charismatic Emiliano "Dibu" Martínez of Argentina stops after hearing the word Bangladesh, turns back, and says that he loves Bangladesh�"that Bangladeshis are, in fact, ‘Argentine’ in another dimension�"millions of Bangladeshi souls feel the love. This shared emotion for the incredible game is what binds two nations together, builds bonds that could not exist any other way, and makes this world a more beautiful planet.

The massive economic activities this tournament generates in Bangladesh will also surprise the world. Restaurants are packed quickly before the game, food delivery orders are placed in the middle of the night during extra time, and giant flags are erected after the win�"all contributing positively to the economy of Bangladesh. While restaurants and others in the food-industry chain, textile industries, and the advertising and media sectors boom, the lives of thousands of others selling vuvuzelas, street food, and street souvenirs also flourish.

Despite all the positives this tournament brings to Bangladesh, to Bangladeshis living in Bangladesh and abroad, there remain some darker aspects. From time to time, the rivalry between teams took over the sound judgment of many. There are instances when people forget it is a game meant to be celebrated, a competition meant to unite, a great show meant to uplift others. At times, the rivalry between various groups becomes so illogical that it even leads to loss of lives. 

Besides, the energy that the Football World Cup brings to Bangladesh seems to have no effect on the national football team of Bangladesh. As of today, the Bangladesh men’s national football team is ranked 181st in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking. Despite having no realistic chances of qualifying for the tournament anytime soon, Bangladesh marches on.

There is a saying that nothing is impossible. Therefore, it is also possible that a day will come when Bangladesh will directly participate in the tournament. For this to happen, Bangladesh needs to take steps to channel this illogical intensity of love into meaningful actions targeted toward lifting up the quality of football in Bangladesh.

There is a stark contrast between the way parents from the generation of this writer perceived sports as this generation was growing up and the way parents perceive sports today. Parents are more accommodating, more understanding, and more open toward the idea of their children taking up sports as a primary occupation. This was not the case 20 years ago. So, the country needs to take advantage of this shift. Besides cricket, which remains the game where Bangladesh shines regularly, the government needs to invest more into football�"for building infrastructure, generating a talent pipeline, and improving the overall quality of the football federation.

With the World Cup final set to take place in less than a week, it is time to make some realistic gains from this tournament. The greatest show on earth will end, the greatest players will retire, and the greatest team will lift the trophy. And with that, Bangladesh needs to continue moving forward towards the day when the green and red flag will wave, green and red jerseys will take to the world stage, and ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ will play at the FIFA World Cup.