England is not only facing Argentina… but 117 million fans from another country!

A country thousands of kilometers away from Argentina and England is awaiting the two teams’ match in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup, and is awaiting this confrontation with passion and enthusiasm.

The Spanish newspaper “Marca” stated, in a report, that there are stories in the world of football that are difficult to explain, because they defy logic and transcend the borders of continents, turning a national team into a symbol for millions of people who were born thousands of miles away.

The newspaper added that this is what is actually happening in a remote part of the world, where all aspects of life stop with every match played by the Argentine national team, as if it were the final match of the World Cup.

She pointed out that with the upcoming confrontation between Argentina and England in order to qualify for the 2026 World Cup final, there will be a third party following this summit with enthusiasm that is difficult to imagine, not in South America or Europe, but in Bangladesh.

She pointed out that Bangladesh is perhaps the most widespread country in the world for blue and white shirts outside the borders of Argentina, as the streets are decorated with Argentine flags, and large numbers gather in front of the screens to watch the matches and celebrate with great enthusiasm, as if the Argentine national team represents their country’s national team.

Bangladesh struggled against British rule for nearly 200 years, and after getting rid of British colonialism and separating from Pakistan, with the support of India, it gained its independence in 1971.

After many years of suffering, Bangladesh found its emotional outlet in sports, specifically football, by supporting the Argentine national team, as the spread of television brought about a radical transformation in a society that insisted on remaining strong and cohesive.

Traditionally, Bangladeshis used to gather to watch football matches, while at the same time evoking historical feelings of hostility towards the British, as a result of long years of colonialism.

The historical legacy of British hegemony combined with the magic of the late Argentine legend Diego Armando Maradona, making support for the Argentine national team a widespread phenomenon, which prompted the Argentine Football Association to send an official message during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar that said: “Thank you for your support of our team. You are just as enthusiastic as we are.”

Marca quoted filmmaker and content creator Mujib, who lives in the Chattogram area, as saying: “I have saved money since I was young, and I have never bought anything more expensive than a Lionel Messi shirt.”

He added: “In every match for the Argentine national team, we feel as if our country is the one playing, and the passion is amazing.” He continued: “When Argentina wins, we feel as if we have won, too.”

Bangladesh is the eighth largest country in the world in terms of population, which gives the Argentine national team and its star and captain, Lionel Messi, a huge fan base.

The newspaper “Marca” concluded its report by saying: “The Argentine national team enjoys the support of more than 46 million citizens inside Argentina, in addition to about 117 million fans in Bangladesh, so the English national team will face 11 players inside the stadium, and about 200 million fans outside it.”