Ahead of World Cup, soccer-crazy Keralites kick off a cutout war

Football frenzy is peaking in paradoxical Kerala ahead of the world cup as huge cutouts of Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr and Cristiano Ronaldo erected alongside a scenic river flowing through this north Kerala district have grabbed worldwide attention.

As the marquee tournament kicks off in Qatar later this month, soccer mania has gripped this southern state and fan pages, largely celebrating South American nations dominating the sport, have started going viral. Kerala, known for its love for football, caught the global attention last week when a group of Argentinian soccer team fans in Pullavoor village erected a 30-foot-tall cutout of Messi over a small islet in the river weeks ahead of the Qatar World Cup.

If Argentina is there, can Brazil be left behind? Keralite Brazil fans erected a 40-foot-tall cutout of Neymar Jr along the banks of the river, spicing up the contest between the supporters of the two stars.

It didnt take long for Messi and Neymar Jr to be overshadowed by yet another over 45-foot tall Cristiano Ronaldo cutout wearing Portugal jersey. The fans have used his widely shared image of him preparing for a free kick at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Incidentally, FIFA tweeted a picture of the cutouts, saying world cup “fever has hit Kerala.”Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan thanked the world football body for “acknowledging our unmatched passion for the sport.” Keralas love for football is “on full display” with the World Cup around, he said in a tweet.

“These cutouts have been widely shared by the official fan pages of Argentina and Brazil,” E T Nibinraj, a resident from a nearby area, told

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