Before last night’s (December 18, 2022) decisive game in Lusail, Qatar, Argentine supporters cheering for Messi and the national team were seen asking for prayers from Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh-er doa chai!” — they kept saying.
In a live match report of Tsports, Argentine fans in Qatar were recorded seeking prayers from the diehard Argentina supporters in Bangladesh. Soon after, a TikTok video showcasing that went viral.
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After at least four decades of impassioned support for Argentina football team, Bangladeshi fans finally got the acknowledgment in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Argentina’s Bangladeshi fanbase made headlines in international news several times in the past few weeks during the FIFA World Cup.
After FIFA tweeted the video of Bangladeshis cheering after Messi's goal, the whole football world came to know about Bangladesh's craze for Argentina. Even football stars like Gary Lineker were surprised to see this love of Bangladeshis.
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Argentine football fans even opened a Facebook group for Argentina fans of Bangladesh’s cricket team, as a way of reciprocating the love Bangladesh has shown for decades.
That’s not all. Argentina's Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero tweeted that he will take measures to reopen the embassy of Argentina in Bangladesh, which was closed in 1978.