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Photos: Football fever sweeps Kerala, so what if India isn’t at FIFA 2018?

North Kerala’s Malabar region these past few days might have made an easy pass as the host of the 2018 FIFA World Cup for those not in the know. The tournament is being held in Russia but the sort of frenzy on display here would say otherwise. The Nipah viral outbreak had put a damper on spirits but football fever is back in full force. Houses have taken on the colours of their residents’ favourite teams, flags festoon marketplaces filled with merchandise and some fans have even taken up the names of their favourite footballers for the month long duration of the Word Cup.

Updated on: Jun 14, 2018 1:13 PM IST

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1/10

Indian footballer C K Vineeth in action during an exhibition match in the monsoon-drenched paddy fields of north Kerala. The FIFA World Cup 2018 kicks off in Russia today, but visitors to Kerala these past days may well have mistaken the southern state as this year’s host with the sort of football frenzy on display. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

Updated on Jun 14, 2018 1:13 PM

Indian footballer C K Vineeth in action during an exhibition match in the monsoon-drenched paddy fields of north Kerala. The FIFA World Cup 2018 kicks off in Russia today, but visitors to Kerala these past days may well have mistaken the southern state as this year’s host with the sort of football frenzy on display. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

2/10

Boards, festoons and banners welcoming the World Cup dot Kozhikkode and Malappuram districts. Founded in 1996, the Nainamvalappu Football Fans Association for one has been in constant touch with FIFA for news and periodicals about the event. Homes in the area are celebrating with flags of their favourite teams perched atop. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

Updated on Jun 14, 2018 1:13 PM

Boards, festoons and banners welcoming the World Cup dot Kozhikkode and Malappuram districts. Founded in 1996, the Nainamvalappu Football Fans Association for one has been in constant touch with FIFA for news and periodicals about the event. Homes in the area are celebrating with flags of their favourite teams perched atop. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

3/10

The month long tournament is more than a festival in these parts. Walls have been painted over with flags of competing teams and local favourites. Allegiances to the 32 nations competing in the games peek from every corner but Latin American teams seems to have an edge over others. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

Updated on Jun 14, 2018 1:13 PM

The month long tournament is more than a festival in these parts. Walls have been painted over with flags of competing teams and local favourites. Allegiances to the 32 nations competing in the games peek from every corner but Latin American teams seems to have an edge over others. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

4/10

It’s as if the towns and villages of Malabar have turned into extensions of football-crazed Latin American cities. For the period of the tournament some locals even forego their own names, responding only when called by the adopted names of their favourite footballers. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

Updated on Jun 14, 2018 1:13 PM

It’s as if the towns and villages of Malabar have turned into extensions of football-crazed Latin American cities. For the period of the tournament some locals even forego their own names, responding only when called by the adopted names of their favourite footballers. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

5/10

A love for Brazil has washed over this Kerela home and it’s not the only instance. In south Kerala’s Kollam, a football-crazed fan has turned his whole house yellow in the colours of the Brazilian team and is going by ‘Brazil Sudheer’ himself. His vehicles, covered in team decals will be touring Kozhikkode and Malappuram districts as the game gets going. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

Updated on Jun 14, 2018 1:13 PM

A love for Brazil has washed over this Kerela home and it’s not the only instance. In south Kerala’s Kollam, a football-crazed fan has turned his whole house yellow in the colours of the Brazilian team and is going by ‘Brazil Sudheer’ himself. His vehicles, covered in team decals will be touring Kozhikkode and Malappuram districts as the game gets going. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

6/10

World Cup cakes, ice creams, halwa and special haircuts are just the beginning of football themed products doing the rounds. And while some teams may not face each other on the ground in Russia, they’re certainly competing for space here in Kerala. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

Updated on Jun 14, 2018 1:13 PM

World Cup cakes, ice creams, halwa and special haircuts are just the beginning of football themed products doing the rounds. And while some teams may not face each other on the ground in Russia, they’re certainly competing for space here in Kerala. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

7/10

A couple of kms away from Nainamvalappu, lives Brazeelia (38), the Muslim League women wing secretary. Named after the Brazilian capital by her father –an ardent fan of the team –she still nurses the 7-1 loss against Germany from the previous World Cup. This time, the boutique owner has her hopes resting on Neymar and Gabriel Jesus. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

Updated on Jun 14, 2018 1:13 PM

A couple of kms away from Nainamvalappu, lives Brazeelia (38), the Muslim League women wing secretary. Named after the Brazilian capital by her father –an ardent fan of the team –she still nurses the 7-1 loss against Germany from the previous World Cup. This time, the boutique owner has her hopes resting on Neymar and Gabriel Jesus. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

8/10

Flags festoon markets and wayside shacks everywhere. Football also means business and themed merchandise of teams and players alike is a big draw. Some, are glad that the World Cup has overlapped with Ramzan this year, making it easier to keep away from the temptation of betting on their favourite teams. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

Updated on Jun 14, 2018 1:13 PM

Flags festoon markets and wayside shacks everywhere. Football also means business and themed merchandise of teams and players alike is a big draw. Some, are glad that the World Cup has overlapped with Ramzan this year, making it easier to keep away from the temptation of betting on their favourite teams. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

9/10

An exhibition match continues in a swamped paddy field. “Soccer crosses all barriers here. They track movement of their favourite players closely. For them it is more than a festival,” said former Indian player and Kerala Blasters’ member C K Vineeth, who hails from north Malabar’s Koothuparambha. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

Updated on Jun 14, 2018 1:13 PM

An exhibition match continues in a swamped paddy field. “Soccer crosses all barriers here. They track movement of their favourite players closely. For them it is more than a festival,” said former Indian player and Kerala Blasters’ member C K Vineeth, who hails from north Malabar’s Koothuparambha. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

10/10

Revellers take out a procession on Payyambalam beach in Kannur, as the countdown for the 2018 FIFA World Cup nears its end. Senior broadcasting journalist N K Raveendran recalls a time before TV when people would follow running commentaries at community radio corners in the 1960s. Malabar’s soccer craze isn’t curable, it’s something locals give into at every occasion. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

Updated on Jun 14, 2018 1:13 PM

Revellers take out a procession on Payyambalam beach in Kannur, as the countdown for the 2018 FIFA World Cup nears its end. Senior broadcasting journalist N K Raveendran recalls a time before TV when people would follow running commentaries at community radio corners in the 1960s. Malabar’s soccer craze isn’t curable, it’s something locals give into at every occasion. (K Sasi / HT Photo)

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