Football : The beautiful game and the people it connects

Ringo Pebam
Recently, while I was walking around the campus of NIMHANS, Bangalore, Susma Gurumayum from Imphal called and asked if I could check with my school friend Vikas Jain, who runs Jain Book Shop in Thangal Keithel, Imphal, whether the latest issue of Sportstar magazine had arrived.
Instantly, I guessed it must be because of the ongoing FIFA World Cup. That made me happy too, because I see in Susma someone who genuinely loves the beautiful game while also excelling academically. Then again, in Manipur, women excelling in football are nothing new; many have proudly represented India on the international stage.
When I asked her whether it was for football, she said, ‘Yes.’ When I asked her favourite team, she replied, ‘England.’ Curious, I asked why. She said that as a child she watched the 2002 World Cup and was captivated by David Beckham and the England team. That reminded me of many football fans of my generation who were influenced by the 2002 World Cup. Later, at Euro 2004, a young Cristiano Ronaldo burst onto the scene and won admirers across the world.
As for me, I watched most matches of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy on TV (Doordarshan). I became captivated by the magic of Diego Maradona and cried when Argentina lost to West Germany in the final. Since then, I have been a devoted Argentina supporter and have often felt that Germany seemed to have an uncanny ability to end my World Cup hopes.
There was no internet in those days, and The Sangai Express newspaper did not exist yet.
Fortunately, my father subscribed to The Telegraph (Calcutta edition), which covered the Italia World Cup extensively. I vividly remember reading articles and analyses about the tournament, including debates surrounding the controversial late penalty that gave West Germany a 1–0 victory over Argentina in the final.
The craze wasn’t just in print; it was in the air. Many cassette shops in Imphal sold Italia World Cup cassettes featuring “To Be Number One” by Giorgio Moroder and other popular football anthems like “Ole, Ole, Ole (The Name of the Game)” by The Fans.
Susma and I reminisced about how newspapers like The Telegraph and magazines such as Sportstar kept us well informed about the football World Cups. I would save my pocket money, ride my bicycle to the nearest shop, and buy Sportstar and Sportsworld magazines whenever I could. The football field in our locality was always full of children and adults alike. We played in the rain, in the mud, and often until sunset.
Years later, in 2006, a new football prodigy named Lionel Messi emerged in the Argentine team. Like many supporters, I was full of hope, only to be left heartbroken when Germany eliminated us in the quarter-finals, coached by Jurgen Klinsmann, a member of the 1990 West Germany squad. The pattern repeated cruelly, with a crushing 4-0 quarter-final defeat to the Germans in 2010 with Maradona as Argentina’s coach, followed by a painful 1-0 loss to them in the 2014 final that lingered in my mind long after the tournament ended.
Finally, in 2022, Argentina broke the jinx and lifted the World Cup. From the 2000s through the 2020s, football fans were fortunate to witness two of the greatest players ever, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Like millions around the world, I admire both. Beyond Ronaldo’s extraordinary talent, I admire his rise from humble beginnings, from an underdog to a footballing icon, a journey that resonates with countless players and fans from modest backgrounds. While I was deeply happy to see Messi finally lift the World Cup trophy, I also felt sad to see Ronaldo benched in some crucial matches, believing it might have been his final World Cup appearance.
So when I learned that Ronaldo would be playing in the 2026 World Cup, I thought, ‘My beloved Argentina and Messi won the last World Cup. It would be nice to see Ronaldo and Portugal win this World Cup.’
Portugal’s 2026 campaign began with a 1–1 draw against DR Congo, and many critics, including Thierry Henry, questioned Ronaldo’s performance and influence on the team.
Coincidentally, on the same day that Susma called me about Sportstar, Ronaldo responded in style against Uzbekistan, bouncing back brilliantly. I hope Portugal continues its good form and goes all the way.
The following day, after returning home to Imphal from Bangalore, football once again found its way into my conversations. This time it came through a call from Preety Pebam, a Gen Z student preparing for NEET-UG. When football came up in our conversation, she told me that France is her favourite team because she was inspired by Kylian Mbappe and the French team during the 2018 World Cup. It reminded me how every generation finds its own football heroes.
Mbappe still has many years ahead of him and more World Cups to play. I remember reading how, as a boy, he idolised Cristiano Ronaldo and covered his bedroom walls with Ronaldo’s posters. He has become an inspiration for millions himself.
May Messi and Ronaldo give us their very best in what could be their final World Cup. And may the new generation, led by players such as Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal, carry the spirit of the beautiful game forward and continue to inspire football lovers around the world.
Football changes, players come and go, but every generation finds its own heroes. And perhaps that is why the beautiful game continues to connect people across generations, places, and walks of life.
(The writer can be reached at [email protected])