Bangladesh a 'small Buenos Aires' in eyes of Al-Jazeera

The Bangladeshis' craze for Argentina is nothing new when it comes to World Cup football. However, this time, the Qatar-based media outlet Al-Jazeera has particularly caught the eye. In a report published on Thursday (July 2), the media outlet wrote that Bangladesh, which is about 17,000 kilometers away from Argentina, will become a 'small Buenos Aires' during the World Cup.

The report said that as soon as the World Cup starts, the alleys, university campuses, rooftops, neighborhoods and social media of Bangladesh are covered in blue and white flags. The love of Bangladeshis for Argentina has surprised the world with all-night games, victory processions and excitement.

Al Jazeera described the experience of watching an Argentina match on a big screen in Dhaka, writing that even after the game ended after Lionel Messi's hat-trick, thousands of fans were still chanting "Argentina, Messi, Messi." The sound of vuvuzelas, the excitement and the celebration all around made it seem as if it was Buenos Aires - which was actually Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has never played in the main round of the FIFA World Cup. Yet every four years, when the World Cup comes around, it is almost a regular occurrence to watch the game on big screens in different parts of the country, to celebrate all night and to decorate houses with the Argentine flag.

Abdul Hai, a 50-year-old resident of Dhaka, told Al Jazeera that his love for Argentina began with the 1986 World Cup. Diego Maradona's extraordinary skills, leadership and famous 'Hand of God' goal had a profound impact on him. In his words, the 36-year wait for Lionel Messi to lift the World Cup trophy in 2022 has come to an end and he has no more regrets about football.

Former Bangladesh national football team player and coach Shafiqul Islam Manik also believes that the real rise of Argentina support in Bangladesh was from the 1986 World Cup. According to him, Maradona's historic performance against England after the Falklands War and the World Cup victory left a deep impression on the hearts of Bangladeshis.

He also said that Argentina's defeat in the 1990 World Cup final and Maradona's tearful farewell also deepened the emotions of the fans. That is why successful teams like Germany or Italy have never gained the popularity of Argentina in Bangladesh.

The report mentioned that Bangladesh's love for Argentina has also had a positive impact on the diplomatic relations between the two countries. After Bangladesh's enthusiasm in the 2022 World Cup came under international discussion, Argentina reopened its embassy in Dhaka after 45 years in 2023. Although there were commercial and diplomatic reasons behind it, officials from both countries admitted that football has played an important role in strengthening people-to-people ties.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, private sector employee Deen Islam said that he has been a supporter of Argentina since childhood because of Messi. On the other hand, Mohammad Zahir said that his love for Argentina came from his father. Later, the team's style of play attracted him even more.

Since it was held in the United States, many of the World Cup matches in Bangladesh have to be watched late at night or early in the morning. However, this has not dampened the enthusiasm of the fans. According to Zahir, on the day of the Argentina match, he does not need an alarm, he wakes up from the excitement on his own.

Sports journalist and commentator Shahanur Rabbani said that the people of Bangladesh have always loved sports heroes. After independence, the success of Brazil and Argentina in world football and the presence of stars like Maradona, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Messi or Neymar have deeply affected the emotions of the people of the country.

However, despite so much love for football, Al-Jazeera also raised the question of why Bangladesh cannot play in the World Cup. According to Shahanur Rabbani, the country lacks adequate fields, training centers, academies and long-term plans. The necessary framework for the development of talented youth has not yet been developed.

Shafiqul Islam Manik shares the same opinion. According to him, although Bangladesh once produced talented footballers, no effective initiative has been taken to maintain that continuity. The youth want to see at least a clear roadmap that can one day take Bangladesh to the World Cup stage.

At the end of the report, Al-Jazeera commented that Bangladesh's love for Argentina is not just a story of football passion; it proves that the people of this country love sports with all their hearts. Now the biggest challenge is to use that passion to develop the country's own football through planning, infrastructure and investment.