<img style="float: left;" title="Ashwin Ferro" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2022/nov/ashwin-qatar_e.jpg" alt="Ashwin Ferro" width="150" height="81" />As Argentina take on Saudi Arabia today, their mercurial skipper has already garnered local hero status among a majority of the 7,00,000-plus Malayalee workforce in the host country.
Even before Argentina&rsquo;s mercurial skipper, striker and seven-time Ballon d&rsquo;Or-winner Lionel Messi has stepped on to the pitch for the FIFA World Cup Group C match against Saudi Arabia here, the anticipation among his South Indian fans in particular here, is crazy.&nbsp;
<img title="Lionel Messi" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2022/nov/messi-twenty-two-nov-a_e.jpg" alt="Lionel Messi" width="1280" height="720" />
There is a strong Kerala workforce in Qatar, roughly 700,000-plus out of a total population of 2.8 million, as is the case across the Arabian Gulf. So, today&rsquo;s clash of their hero against one of their adopted countries of work offers a unique perspective. &nbsp;
<h2>Messi craze in Mallapuram&nbsp;</h2>
Mansoor Mohammed, 30, who hails from Mallapuram and is here for the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/football/article/karim-benzema-ruled-out-of-the-fifa-world-cup-2022-23256594" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">FIFA World Cup</a>, explains the Messi craze back home. &ldquo;We [local football club members] have installed a giant-sized, 40-foot Messi cutout in our village. Unfortunately, due to strong winds, the cutout snapped and that &lsquo;back-breaking&rsquo; video of Messi became viral. However, we wasted no time in preparing a wooden frame, placing it behind and re-erecting the cutout within a matter of hours. That&rsquo;s how passionate we are about him. He cannot fall. He will only rise. He will definitely score against Saudi Arabia,&rdquo; Mansoor, who has a furniture business in Coimbatore, told mid-day here on Monday.&nbsp;
<img title="File photo of fans supporting Argentina at a waterfront in Doha. Pic/AFP" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2022/nov/messi-twenty-two-nov-b_e.jpg" alt="File photo of fans supporting Argentina at a waterfront in Doha. Pic/AFP" width="1280" height="720" />File photo of fans supporting Argentina at a waterfront in Doha. Pic/AFP
Another Keralite, Ali Anwar, who works in a shopping mall here, has mixed feelings as he has cousins work in Saudi. &ldquo;Two of my cousin brothers work in Saudi Arabia. They are also die-hard Messi fans, but obviously they cannot support Argentina openly back home today, so I feel bad for them. But we are in touch on phone and they are confident that Messi will kick off his final World Cup campaign with a bang,&rdquo; Anwar said.
Argentine manager Lionel Scaloni&rsquo;s side are on a 36-match unbeaten run, having last lost [0-2] to arch-rivals Brazil in the 2019 Copa America. Their last World Cup warm-up match was a 5-0 rout of the UAE.&nbsp;
<img title="Mansoor Mohammed" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2022/nov/messi-twenty-two-nov-c_e.jpg" alt="Mansoor Mohammed" width="1280" height="720" />Mansoor Mohammed
Add to this the fact that Saudi Arabia could most likely be battling to avoid a bottom-place finish in their group which also comprises South American football powerhouse Mexico and superstar striker Robert Lewandowski&rsquo;s Poland, today&rsquo;s fixture should be a cakewalk for the Argentines.
However, for the Indian fans here, it&rsquo;s not as much about Argentina&rsquo;s result as it is about <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/football/article/lionel-messi-little-by-little-23255729" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Messi</a> performing at his best. Anwar was part of the group of a few thousand, again predominantly South Indians, who gathered at the Corniche area here to root for Messi and Argentina a few days ago.&nbsp;
Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/football/article/qatar-fans-disappointed-after-0-2-defeat-to-ecuador-23256686" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">FIFA World Cup 2022: Qatar fans disappointed after 0-2 defeat to Ecuador</a>
<h2>Crazy party in Doha</h2>
&ldquo;It was a crazy party. There were chants of &lsquo;Messssi, Messsi&rsquo; all around,&rdquo; he said. Interestingly, Mansoor informs that Mallapuram also has huge cutouts of Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazil striker Neymar, &ldquo;but they are on either side of Messi. Messi is the centre of attraction, just like he will be here in his final World Cup,&rdquo; Mansoor signed off.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s over to Messi now to deliver on the biggest stage once again!
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Super-excited South Indian fans expect Argentine superstar to deliver as South Americans kick off World Cup campaign against Saudi Arabia today

FIFA World Cup 2022: Super-excited South Indian fans root for Lionel Messi's Argentina in Qatar

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Home / Sports / Football / Article / FIFA World Cup 2022: Super-excited South Indian fans root for Lionel Messi's Argentina in Qatar

FIFA World Cup 2022: Super-excited South Indian fans root for Lionel Messi's Argentina in Qatar

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