From 'Brazil Houses' to giant Messi cutouts, football fever sweeps Kerala ahead of FIFA World Cup

A modest house tucked away in Nenmara in Keralas Palakkad district has become an unlikely attraction as football fans and curious visitors stop by for selfies and photographsPainted entirely in Brazils iconic yellow and green colours and decorated with football and World Cup imagery from gate to rooftop the house stands out as a vibrant tribute to the sportThe eyecatching home has become a symbol of the football fever that is once again sweeping across Kerala as anticipation builds ahead of the FIFA World CupAs the countdown to footballs biggest spectacle in three countries of the American continent enters its final daysKeralas passionate fans are leaving little doubt that the tournament is as much a festival here as it is in the host nationAcross villages towns and coastal hamlets giant cutouts of football superstars are rising above coconut groves enormous flex boards are appearing along highways youngsters are rehearsing victory chants and fans are proudly donning the jerseys of their favourite teamsFor Shafeer a resident of Nenmara in Palakkad and a lifelong Brazil admirer supporting the fivetime champions goes beyond merely watching matchesHis entire house and compound wall now wear Brazils coloursBrazil team is my life I dont have anything more to say Some passions simply cannot be measured he says with a smileHis wife Shamna who shares his love for the Selecao says the house has become so popular that locals now refer to it simply as the Brazil Veedu Brazil HouseVisitors frequently stop by for photographs turning the residence into an unlikely selfie destinationHundreds of kilometres away in the coastal village of Chellanam in Ernakulam district Argentina supporters have made their own statementWith the support of parents and local residents a group of teenage fans recently erected a towering cutout of Lionel Messi that now dominates the village skylineVideos of teenagers standing in front of the Messi cutout and raising slogans of Argentina Vamos have gone viral on social mediaIt was the result of three to four days of continuous hard work Our fathers also joined us Everyone wanted this cutout to become a reality one of the young organisers saidThe friendly rivalry that defines Keralas football culture is already in full swingLocal Brazil supporters in the area say an even larger cutout of Neymar is being prepared and will soon challenge Messis towering presenceIn Kongad near Palakkad diehard Argentina fans have erected an enormous flex board along the busy PalakkadCherpulassery roadPacked with images of Messi his coplayers and memorable moments from Argentinas football journey the installation has become a talking point across the stateVideos showing dozens of fans carrying the giant structure into position have attracted widespread attention onlineWe put up flex boards during every World Cup This time we simply made it much bigger We wanted to create something that would surprise Kerala and I think we succeeded said one of the members of the local football club behind the initiativeOne social media user who shared a video of the flex board joked that he initially mistook it for a container lorryYou keep walking and walking and it still doesnt end he remarked referring to its lengthDrone visuals of giant cutouts and colourful flex boards standing amid Keralas lush paddy fields have further amplified the World Cup buzz onlineEqually popular are videos of young fans rapidly naming football stars from different countries while dressed in team jerseysThe football fever is not confined to displays and decorationsIn neighbourhoods across the state local turfs are witnessing a surge in activity as fans prepare for friendly matches inspired by the World CupAt nearby Thottumukku friends Shan and Aman are among those planning preWorld Cup football eventsHere we have supporters of almost every major team Argentina may have more fans in our village but there are plenty who support Brazil and Portugal too We are planning friendly matches where everyone will wear their favourite teams jersey Shan told PTIFootballs emotional grip on Kerala is hardly newFor decades the state has nurtured a deep affection for the sport fuelled by local sevens tournaments television broadcasts and generations of fans who grew up idolising legends from Pele and Maradona to Messi Ronaldo and NeymarEvery four years that passion spills out from living rooms onto streets beaches and village squaresThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever