By the time Argentina and Spain kick off in New Jersey tonight, it will be well past midnight in Dhaka – and that has never once stopped Bangladesh from watching.
Rooftops across the capital are draped in blue and white, murals of Lionel Messi have reappeared on walls and shutters, and street vendors have spent the past week doing brisk business in replica jerseys and flags, even though this is a country that has never itself qualified for a World Cup.
The bond runs deep and generational. For motor mechanic Nurul Islam, the love for Argentina began with his father’s devotion to Diego Maradona in 1986 and has since passed to his own children, who insisted on new jerseys ahead of tonight’s final.
He wasn’t alone in feeling the tension build through the tournament: “I was tense during the Argentina-Egypt match. I was sweating and almost cried,” he told AFP, adding that he now feels sure of an Argentine win.
Jersey sellers have reported surging demand throughout the tournament, with one industry figure noting there is no formal count of Argentina’s fans in Bangladesh, only the sheer volume of shirts moving off the shelves – many of them, fittingly, sewn in Bangladeshi garment factories that export football kits worldwide.
Bangladeshi football loyalty has traditionally split between Argentina and Brazil, but Brazil’s shock last-16 exit to Norway pushed many of their fans to adopt Argentina for the rest of the tournament, swelling the blue-and-white ranks further.
Some fans have stayed up through every Argentina match this tournament in full kit, saying the jersey creates a sense of belonging to the team itself, and are planning to gather at the same viewing venues that hosted their celebrations after Argentina’s 2022 title, hoping to relive that night rather than simply watch a new one.
By some estimates, Bangladesh may be home to more Albiceleste supporters than any country outside Argentina itself – a claim that, whatever its precision, is hard to dispute watching Dhaka’s skyline tonight.
Tea stalls will stay open, offices will brace for a bleary Monday morning, and for a few hours past midnight, a country with no team in the tournament will watch the final as if it were entirely its own.
