Legendary soccer star, Pelé, breathed his last on Thursday 29th December 2022. Regarded as the greatest soccer player of all times, the Brazilian was instrumental in winning three World Cups for his country, the most ever by any player. Acknowledged as the player to have the highest number of goals ever scored, Pelé set the benchmark for future soccer players to pursue. When another soccer stalwart, the legendary Maradona of Argentina who led his country to win the World Cup in 1986, passed away in 2020, Pelé had remarked as a tribute, “I hope we will play together in Heaven”.
Among
the contemporary players of today’s times, undoubtedly Lionel Messi of
Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal feature in the top of people’s
minds. They are often compared to Pele and Maradona. Their magic was
conspicuous in the recently concluded FIFA World Cup 2022.
I
had the privilege of experiencing the 2022 World Cup fervour in France. The
build up to the finals of la Coupe du Monde was ecstatic. People were in
the streets, celebrating with mirth, after France defeated England 2 – 1 in the
quarter finals on 10th Dec 2022. Les brasseries, the local pubs,
and restaurants, were beaming with an elated crowd making merry.
The
town that I live in, Grenoble, in south-eastern France, is quite cosmopolitan,
and it was not a pleasantly memorable evening for the Britons living here.
France and Britain have been historic rivals and an undercurrent of perennial
competition underscores every sports faceoff even today. France’s victory over
England to march into the semi-finals was an icing on the cake for the French revellers.
The
semi-final on 14th December 2022 was yet another unique faceoff as
France beat Morocco 2 – 0 to storm into the finals despite having only 39%
possession of the ball throughout the match. The adrenaline was visibly high in
the French streets as the two countries historically share a bittersweet
relationship. Morocco was once a French colony, and people of Moroccan origin
form a substantial part (18% of the total immigrant population) of the French
population today. It was not easy for the Moroccan supporters to swallow the bitter
pill of defeat, more so in the streets of France where the French were the most
boisterously and conspicuously celebrating their victory with reverberating slogans
of allez les bleus.
 A scene from
a street in Grenoble, France, captured by the author, after the
France-Morocco semi final |
The Moroccan impulse was already high
after they sent the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo and his powerful team
Portugal packing by defeating them 1 – 0 in the quarterfinal on the same day that
France had sent the Britons home. The Moroccans had great expectations of the
semi-finals, but the defeat miserably punctured their inflated enthusiasm.
There were incidents of violence from various areas of France. I witnessed
first-hand some roughness in the streets myself. While I was immersed in the
ambience of fireworks and slogans, I found a street dustbin hurled towards
the crowd that I was part of, barely sparing me of an injury as it rolled
past me by an inch. |
Then came the breath-taking la finale on Sunday the 18th of December 2022. The match was supposed to begin at 4 pm local time in France. My family and I had to break through a sea of soccer enthusiasts thronging centre ville in anticipation of the much-awaited historic faceoff between Lionel Messi’s Argentina and Mbappé’s les Blues, as we scurried home to be on time for the match. We rather preferred to enjoy the FIFA World Cup 2022 final from our living room than being out in the streets flooded with adrenaline. The experience after the semi-final had drained us of our erstwhile eagerness to be soaked in first-hand la coupe du monde public revelry. The passion of patriotism was so high that we felt safer at home that evening.
What
unfolded was history for the world and a dilemma in our home. Our heart was
with Lionel Messi and the legacy of Diego Maradona. Childhood memories of when
the TV was a brand-new gadget in Assamese homes and the legend of Maradona was
in the making in Indian living rooms, played in my mind. Yet the head eluded
the heart and supported France as we are in France and with the French – our
cheeks painted in the blue-white-red French stripes – and we cheered from our
windows despite the freezing French winter creeping into our living room – to
be in unison with the crowd in the streets below! Our hearts swayed naturally
as Argentina scored 2 – 0 and we screamed in joy, yet we found ourselves cheering
boisterously when France equalized it 2 – 2 thereafter. Our dilemma reached its
peak when the game culminated in 3 – 3 after the extra time and a penalty was
announced to break the tie. Our emotions went out equally with Messi and
Mbappé.
When
the tie was finally broken in favour of Argentina, the streets below fell
silent, the fireworks disappeared. Glasses shattered, and we heard it vividly
and saw the rubbles next morning. It was symbolic of the French pride that was
shattered by the formidable Argentines. An entire nation’s hopes of retaining la
coupe had been shattered. Consequently, we had mixed feelings. On one hand,
we rejoiced Argentina’s victory and Messi’s pinnacle, yet we empathized deeply
with the nation that hosts us and our fellow French mates in France. Both the
feelings were equally organic.
All
in all, this will remain one of the most memorable world cup experiences for
me, just as it will for the rest of the world, but a bit more uniquely for an
Indian living in France.
(Published in the Assam Tribune on 8th January 20223: https://epaper.assamtribune.com/clip-preview/57961NMpsI7TKnFZfJsJagKCxBJx3PsgU81MZ9498173)
