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Published : 13 Jun 2026, 12:39 PM
Streets across Bangladesh have filled with the flags of Brazil and Argentina as World Cup fever grips a nation that has never qualified for the tournament but counts among the most passionate supporters of both sides anywhere in the world.
Football fans have been rushing since May to outdo each other with giant flags of the two rivals, one of the rare occasions when the fiercely patriotic nation embraces foreign colours, the Independent reports.
Outside residential areas, towering cut-outs of Lionel Messi have appeared, and fans have flocked to sports markets in Dhaka's upmarket Gulshan neighbourhood to buy replica Argentina and Brazil jerseys priced around Tk 500.
The country's affection for the two Latin American nations, despite neither having any particular geographical or political ties to Bangladesh, has been generational and at times turned friends into rivals during the weeks the World Cup is played, the British daily said.
🇧🇩🇦🇷 | No empezó el Mundial 2026 pero el hermano pueblo de Bangladesh ya está alentando a la Selección Argentina de Fútbol. pic.twitter.com/9IRBOZCow6
— Mundo en Conflicto 🌎 (@MundoEConflicto) June 9, 2026
Earlier this month, dozens of people were injured in clashes between supporters of Brazil and Argentina following a local football match in Habiganj.
Young men in Shariatpur have declared they will not get married until Brazil ends its wait for a trophy it last won in 2002.
While Brazil and Argentina dominate, other nations occasionally draw attention too.
Amjad Hossain, 72, made headlines this week by displaying a 7.5-kilometre-long German flag he had made after selling a small portion of his land to fund it.
His dream, according to the daily Prothom Alo, was for the massive flag to find a place in a museum in Germany.
Norway, playing in its first World Cup in 28 years, has actively courted Bangladeshi fans, asking them to back the Vikings.
The Norwegian Embassy appealed to supporters by highlighting the two countries' deep-rooted relationship, pointing out that Norway was among the earliest nations to recognise Bangladesh after independence.
This World Cup is the first to feature 48 teams, expanding the tournament to a record 104 matches to be held until Jul 19 across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Bangladesh's football passion was acknowledged by FIFA and Argentine players in 2022, who were overwhelmed by the backing from a nation almost 17,000km from home.
At the heart of the love for Argentina is Diego Maradona.
Football was introduced to undivided India's then-capital Calcutta by British colonisers in the 19th century. In the 1960s and 70s, when Bangladesh -- then known as East Pakistan -- was undergoing political turmoil, a generation of young people found hope and heroes in Brazil, the dominant team of that era.
Pele became a national favourite, inspiring generations of footballers.
The game gained widespread popularity in the cricket-loving nation in the mid-1980s as television ownership expanded.
For many Bangladeshis, the 1986 World Cup was their first glimpse of the tournament in colour.
That edition, Maradona's iconic goals against England transcended football, resonating as a symbolic victory over a former colonial power, Independent said.
We are Ready 🇧🇩✊ pic.twitter.com/9dfnZ2gVv1
— Argentina Fans Club Bangladesh (@ArgentinaFCBD) June 8, 2026
For younger fans, Messi has filled the void left by Maradona, while Brazil supporters have found their favourite in Neymar.
The rivalry has turned violent before and has even proved fatal.
A study found that 23 people died during the 2022 World Cup in clashes between rival fan groups.
In 2014, at least three people died while hanging flags from electric wiring, the newspaper reported.
In 2018, a 12-year-old boy was electrocuted putting up a Brazil flag, while a man and his son were critically injured in clashes between rival fan processions.
