MALAPPURAM: A little girl in Kerala's Malappuram district is waiting and hoping for Brazil to lose its first FIFA world cup 2022 game so she could celebrate it with firecrackers in retaliation to supporters of that team mocking her favourite soccer player, Lionel Messi, over Argentina's loss to Saudi Arabia.
This indicates that not only adults, but even children in Kerala are in the grip of football World Cup fever.
It was also evident from how the young girl spiritedly stood her ground and shouted back at Brazil supporters, who outnumbered her, for ridiculing Lionel Messi after Argentina's loss to Saudi Arabia.
A video of the little girl defending Argentina and Lionel Messi by shouting against Brazil supporters has gone viral.
The video shows the girl, donning a dark blue jersey with Messi written on the back, shouting at the Brazil fans who outnumbered her and even drowned her responses with their hooting and jeering.
ALSO READ | Football frenzy takes over Kerala: Some buy house to watch World Cup, others clash with police
Not the one to give up easily, apparently, she stands her ground and shouts back at them and then decides to go back.
But as the jeering increases, she rushes back and vehemently yells at the detractors of her favourite player and tells them that "Messi has more games to play." After that she finally walks away in a huff.
The visuals would evoke a smile from anyone, and if the Argentine team or Messi saw it, their hearts too would be warmed by the spirited defense put up on their behalf by her.
Later, as the video became viral, she told media that she was sad over Argentina's loss and some persons had written something bad on a Messi photo put up in the locality, which she could not bear.
"So, I got angry and yelled expletives at them. They (Brazil supporters) were also yelling expletives and making fun of Argentina and Messi. I could not bear that so I said some things about Neymar," she said.
She also said that initially there were other Argentina fans too, but they walked away in the face of the hooting and jeering.
"Some of them cried over Argentina's loss," she added.
VIEW PHOTOS | FIFA World Cup 2022: Football fever grips Kerala
Regarding what happened in the match, the young girl said that the team in green (Saudi Arabia) committed a lot of fouls and played a dirty game.
She also said that she wanted Brazil to lose its upcoming match with Serbia on November 25.
"We will burst firecrackers, if Brazil loses," she said with revenge clearly on her mind.