By Sahiba Chawdhary
KOLKATA, July 3 (Reuters) - Cricket may be the national obsession, but in one corner of India the global spirit of the World Cup has erupted in a colourful display of football passion.
The eastern city of Kolkata has long been the hub of Indian soccer and is home to three clubs - Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting - that each boast more than a hundred years of history. The City of Joy's enthusiasm for football has transformed the otherwise mundane Fakir Chakraborty
Lane in the Beniatola area into the dazzling 'FIFA Gully'.
Giant cut-outs of Cristiano Ronaldo, flaunting six-pack-abs, and Lionel Messi, celebrating a goal, welcome visitors at the entrance of this barely 100-meter-long lane. Inside it, Neymar completes the triumvirate, while the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr peer out from colourful murals.
"Kolkata is the mecca of football," said Sourav Ghosal, a 23-year-old MBA student, who grew up in the neighbourhood. "This is the heritage. That's what Kolkata is all about."
The tradition began during the 2014 World Cup with simple newspaper clippings pasted on walls. Over the years, it has grown into elaborate murals, portraits and decorations celebrating football's biggest names.
Residents built the display in their free time, working whenever they could fit it in. Some painted portraits of their heroes, while others hung buntings of team flags and put up the superstar cut-outs.
"We have never taken any type of sponsorship," Renesh Roy, member of the FIFA Gully collective, said. "It's for the love of football."
India have never played in a World Cup, and the men's team rank an embarrassing 138th globally. While the absence hurts, local fans have shifted their loyalty to powerhouses like Brazil and Argentina. Jerseys, mostly knock-offs, of Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar are as ubiquitous here as they are in any European or South American city.
The steady stream of curious visitors has turned the otherwise nondescript lane into a popular selfie spot.
"It's a small lane in a small area in Kolkata," Debajyoti Dutta, a FIFA Gully collective member, said. "It's a matter of pride for us."
(Writing by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Toby Chopra)
