First came a 30 ft tall Lionel Messi. Then, a 40ft tall Neymar. Finally, it all got topped up with a 50 ft tall Cristiano Ronaldo. The cutout wars in Kerala right before the 2022 FIFA World Cup is a literal representation of Kerala’s football fandom. The iconic (and super-viral) Ronaldo, Neymar, And Messi Cutouts in Kerala have now garnered international attention for all the good reasons.
Lionel Messi’s cutout was the first to be installed on the banks of Kerala’s Pullavoor river in Kozhikode. Upon seeing this, Brazil fans in the locality decided to take it up a notch by placing an even bigger cutout of Neymar. Fans of Portugal couldn’t see themselves not participating in this healthy rivalry. They, therefore, erected a larger-than-life cutout of Ronaldo that spearheaded the other two players. It’s interesting to see how football fan clubs and associations took it really seriously to showcase their pride in their favorite team.
Amidst this rivalry, the Chathamangalam Grama Panchayat had ordered to take the Ronaldo, Neymar, And Messi Cutouts down. They believed that cutouts in the river caused a hindrance to the natural flow of the river. However, the issue was dismissed when the Koduvally Municipality authorities interfered and stated that the river and the poramboke land were under their jurisdiction and they had no issue with the cutouts.
Check Out: Sunil Chhetri Launches Football Coaching Academy For Children In Kerala’s Kannur
Despite all the problems, supporters of different teams had their share of fun and enthusiasm in celebrating the arrival of the World Cup. Their initiative to erect Ronaldo, Neymar, And Messi Cutouts in Kerala has definitely taken over the internet, nationally and internationally. It only goes to show the football fever that’s affected every single football fan in the state.
