Bangladesh’s Unhinged Soccer Obsession, Explained
What do Maradona, Pelé, and the Falklands have to do with one country’s football fixation? More than you think.
It was June 22, 1986, and Argentina’s Diego Maradona was playing for his life and his country in Mexico City. Weaving through towering English defenders, the 5’ 5” Maradona approached the penalty box, jumped, and punched the ball into the net with his left hand. Seconds later: “GOALLLLL!” Cheers drowned out protests from English fans. The referee said he didn’t see Maradona’s fist touching the ball, an illegal move. The goal stood.
Later dubbed the “Hand of God,” the move might have been one of the greatest acts of cheating in soccer history. For Bangladesh, none of that mattered. Flash forward to today: when Argentina’s Leo Messi scores, more fans celebrate in Bangladesh than in all of Argentina, while millions defend Brazil. They’ve even gotten into lethal fights over the teams. How did we get this obsessive fanbase, thousands of miles away from South America? We spoke to Bangladeshi soccer (or football) fans and experts to find out.