By Denzil Fernandes
Sports Editor - Daijiworld.com

Kolkata, Aug 31: If you are walking around Kolkata today there is a distinct feel of ‘Messi mania’ pervading all around the city.  India’s most crazy city as far as football is concerned, everyone in Kolkata wants to be at the Salt Lake Football Stadium for a top class exhibition football match between two footballing giants Argentina and Venezuela scheduled to take place on September 2.

The ‘City of Joy’ as Kolkata is known has always been the nursery of Indian football.  The national team is invariably made up of players from this beautiful city that also has three of the top football clubs in India.  East Bengal, Mohan Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting have been the leading football clubs in India which have supplied some of the best players for the nation. 

Come this Friday, at least 125,000 football lovers will throng the 2nd largest football stadium in the world owned by the West Bengal Government where the footballers
with dancing feet from South America are likely to mesmerize the Indians in what promises to be a feast of ‘eye pleasing’ soccer fest at its best. 

Leading the pack of soccer supremos who will display their skills will be the world’s greatest footballer Lionel Messi who will captain Argentina.  Messi is the modern day Maradona who is also the star player for Barcelona having helped them win so many titles around Europe.  Getting into Barcelona at the raw age of 13 from his birth place in Rosario (Argentina), Messi is the most sought after player in world football today.  Blessed with unbeatable footballing feats Messi is likely to be the star of the exhibition match in Kolkata.  Some of his admirers even call him ‘Messidona’.  In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup.  He has won several awards in his glittering career. 

Messi has been voted as the ‘World Footballer of the Year’ at least twice besides being European Footballer of the Year.  He was the La Liga (Spanish League) player of the year from 2009 to 2011 and has been the Footballer of the Year of Argentina in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 which is a record.  Messi has won such a lot of awards so quickly in his short lifetime.  He has also established in 2007 the Leo Messi Foundation to help vulnerable children access to education and health care.  Messi also became the goodwill ambassador for UNICEF in 2010 helping children’s rights.  His club Barcelona is also connected with UNICEF and one can see their logo on their shirts when they play.

Apart from Messi, there will be others like Argentina’s Gonzalo Higuain, Javier Mascherano and Pablo Zabaleta.  Big names from Venezuela include Gabriel Cichero, Salomon Rondon and ace defender Oswaldo Vizcarrondo.

An array of eminent citizens and leading personalities from all walks of life are already on their way to Kolkata to watch Messi and other top footballers who will be playing in the match which is expected to be a ‘sell out’.  Huge security arrangements have already been made for the international teams as well as the dignitaries attending the match.  Sports shops and small time shopkeepers have been having a bonanza selling Messi related items like hot cakes.  Shirts with Messi’s picture have been grabbed by football lovers despite hiked prices around the Kolkata shops.

Three years ago, Kolkata were lucky to watch Maradona and with Friday’s top end football encounter one expects a football boom in the country.  FIFA, the world’s football governing body is keen to milk on India’s economic boom and wants to promote football wherever possible.  Several academies are springing up in India with the support of FIFA and one of England’s leading football clubs Liverpool have opened an academy in Delhi already with so many other clubs planning to enter India. 

India’s football ranking in the world is a lowly 158 at the moment but is expected to change with more development of the game in the country taking place.  In 1996 India were placed 94 in the FIFA rankings and were 165 in 2007.

Nevertheless, India have done well in the past having the won the Asian Games gold medal in football in 1951 and 1962 also.  In between, they have  been winners in several other regional tournaments including a creditable fourth place in the 1956 Olympic Games losing to Bulgaria in the third place play off match by 3 goals to nil.

Lack of infrastructure and  professionalism has hindered the game’s progress in the country.  But with FIFA now determined to support and spread the game  a big boom is expected shortly.  Foreign coaches and players are now making their way into the Indian clubs and assisting the teams.  Till recently, India had Briton Bob Houghton as the coach from 2006 who guided them to several memorable wins including  two Nehru Cup international tournament wins in 2007 and 2009.  By and large, Houghton brought in plenty of competitive spirit in the national team although he had to leave due to certain problems.  Goa’s Armando Colaco is the head coach of the Indian team now. A couple of foreign coaches are also now in charge of top clubs in the country.  One cannot forget the great contribution to Indian football by several players but Bhaichung Bhutia who retired recently  was top of the lot playing for the country from 1995 to 2011 and scoring at least 43 goals for Team India.

With  more and more kids being encouraged in  kicking the football  in every city now, the football fever is likely to grow with regular foreign teams  interested in establishing their presence in  India.  Some of the prominent cities in the country have now been earmarked for major football development.  There is a huge expectation that India will be able to field a strong team in major tournaments. 

The exhibition match in Kolkata on Friday is surely going to change Indian football in more ways than one.  With the entire world watching the FIFA approved fixture, one hopes that the India’s future stars also will pick a few tricks from the star performers on the field at the Salt Lake Soccer Stadium.  With Messi leading from the front, one is bound to watch some silky skills and shooting power coming from the golden boots of the baby faced Barcelona super star.   Both Argentina and Venezuela will conquer the hearts of the Indian football lovers with their breathtaking display without doubt.  A truly memorable football spectacle worth going miles to watch and enjoy taking place at the ‘MECCA’ of Indian football.