A morning painted in sky blue

Like any other day, I set out in the morning for the Azimpur branch of Viqarunnisa Noon School with my child. However, compared to previous days, yesterday’s morning felt distinctly different as there were fewer pedestrians and fewer rickshaws on the road.

Even the traffic on Mirpur Road was noticeably thin. At the Nilkhet intersection, three passengers got off a bus wearing Argentina’s away jerseys and walked towards Dhaka University.

Reaching the Azimpur intersection, I spotted rickshaws carrying young passengers clad in Argentina’s home jerseys, heading towards Dhaka University via Palashi.

It did not take long to figure out the reason: the reigning world champions Argentina were about to step into their first hurdle of the FIFA World Cup; and the 7:00 am kick-off played its part in the crowd and traffic being thin.

During the last World Cup, several spots across the Dhaka University campus had transformed into human oceans during Argentina and Brazil matches — a phenomenon that captivated the global football fraternity. It was likely the urge not to miss that electric atmosphere that drove this influx of Argentina fans towards the campus once again.

After dropping my daughter at the school gate, my journey was interrupted by a crowd inside the Government Officers’ Quarter next to the school. Unable to resist, I joined them to watch the match on a giant screen. The crowd was a diverse mix of football fans — from schoolchildren to elderly citizens out for a morning walk, all standing side by side. The presence of women in Argentina jerseys was particularly striking.

A giant digital screen had been set up beneath the Ladies’ Conference Hall of the Government Officers’ Quarter. Fans in Argentina’s iconic sky-blue-and-white filled the front rows, while Brazil jerseys were also sprinkled in between.
Students from nearby schools, still in uniform and with guardians, had paused to watch Argentina play. Even at this early hour, a peanut vendor did brisk business, turning the venue into a mini-stadium.

The crowd erupted at every move from Messi and his teammates. Soon after kick-off, Messi scored — a long-awaited moment triggering wild celebrations. However, VAR instantly silenced the crowd, giving sudden voice to the minority rooting for an Argentina slip-up. Soon after, when Algeria scored and VAR disallowed it again, the Albiceleste faithful burst into cheers.

The match continued amid rising tension. A minor gridlock of rickshaws and motorcycles inside the quarter briefly disrupted movement. A sharp whistle from a security guard shifted attention from the screen, while a school van driver searched for a missing student named Hanzala. Guardians tugged at children to leave, but many refused, glued to the screen. Several children in Argentina jerseys even sat directly in front of it.

By then, the holders had taken the lead through Messi. Debate broke out instantly. “Argentina is not even getting the ball,” complained one fan, to which another replied, “We are ahead, and that’s why they’re defending more.” Another added, “One goal is enough.”

Everything became a reason to celebrate — a stray dog crossing the screen, broadcast buffering, even coach Lionel Scaloni shouting instructions.

During the second-half hydration break, an Argentina supporter appeared with a flag and a bottle of soft drink, 7Up, triggering fresh laughter and chants.

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Argentina were now two goals ahead, both from Messi. He soon came close to a hat-trick, but the Algerian goalkeeper produced a brilliant save. Algeria countered briefly but failed to convert. “Go on, Algeria!” shouted a lone voice, met with amused smiles. The result already felt settled.

Outside, the morning heat intensified, but shifting clouds and a breeze made conditions bearable, amplifying the Argentina fans’ satisfaction after seeing Messi’s historic hat-trick set their journey towards another World Cup dream in motion.