New Delhi: For generations of football fans, the Fifa World Cup has been about much more than the matches themselves. It has meant late-night gatherings with friends, packed cafes erupting at every goal, and entire neighbourhoods staying awake together as the world’s biggest sporting spectacle unfolded.This year, however, many fans in Delhi fear that experience may not be the same.With the World Cup being hosted across United States, Canada and Mexico between June 12 and July 20, several key matches are set to kick off between 12.30 am and 6.30 am India time. While the excitement surrounding the tournament remains intact, the odd timings are forcing many supporters in the city to rethink how closely they can follow the action.For a city where football culture thrives on collective viewing and community celebrations, the challenge this time is whether staying up through the night, or waking up before dawn, is sustainable for over a month.For avid football follower Alekh Mahapatra, the challenge of following a World Cup hosted in North America brings back memories from more than three decades ago. “I was in Class IV when the 1994 World Cup was held in US, and I remember the buzz wasn’t quite the same then as well,” he said.“Football is a social experience. You watch it with friends, in cafes, at screenings or in pubs. That’s a huge part of the culture. If matches kick off at 2.30 am, 3.30 am and 5.30 am, watching becomes difficult. A 12.30 am start is still manageable. Staying up through the entire night is another matter.”The concern resonates with many working professionals who find themselves weighing football against the realities of daily life.“I usually don’t mind staying up till 1 am for a big match,” said Arshdeep Panesar, a software developer who supports Argentina. “But this World Cup is different. My day starts around 8 am, so I will have to be selective. I’ll probably stay up only for the biggest fixtures.”For Udit Raina, this World Cup will compete not only with his office schedules but also with family responsibilities. “My son is a little over two years old and our entire household runs on his routine,” he said. “Between that and office timings, watching matches that start after midnight will be difficult.”The sentiment is widespread online as well, with many fans admitting they expect to follow much of the tournament through highlights, social media clips and post-match discussions rather than live broadcasts.Yet football fandom has never been entirely rational.In CR Park, where debates over football often rival conversations about politics, Argentina supporter Aninda Das is already bracing for a disrupted sleep schedule.The awkward timings, he says, have done little to diminish the significance of the tournament. “We’re talking about the biggest event in the world’s most popular sport,” he said. “Every four years, the World Cup takes over conversations across countries and generations. That’s what makes it special.”For Das, the inconvenience is unlikely to outweigh passion. “The time difference may cost a few nights of sleep, but it won’t dampen the excitement. Fans always find a way. I won’t be missing Argentina’s matches,” he said.Spain supporter Abel Rai shares that sentiment, although he considers himself fortunate that some of his team’s matches fall at more reasonable hours. “Of course I’ll watch them live. Thankfully, two of Spain’s matches are at 9.30 pm India time,” he said. “I’ve already ordered my Spain jersey.”Rai, who has family in Darjeeling, said the football-mad hill town appears slightly quieter than during previous World Cups, but signs of excitement remain unmistakable.For many supporters, the build-up to the World Cup has already begun, not in front of television screens, but through jersey purchases. With the IPL season over, online marketplaces and sports merchandise sellers say football jerseys are steadily replacing cricket kits in shopping carts.For those who may not be able to watch every match live because of the awkward timings, buying a jersey is a way of staying connected to the tournament. The trend suggests that while the schedule may alter viewing habits, it has done little to diminish fans’ desire to wear their allegiance on their sleeves.According to Deepak, a jersey seller in Karol Bagh, Argentina shirts are the clear bestsellers. “Lionel Messi is still the biggest reason. Every day people come asking for Argentina jerseys. Brazil, Portugal, Spain and England are also in demand, but Argentina is comfortably ahead,” he said.This time around, the packed pubs, all-night screenings and spontaneous gatherings that defined previous editions may be harder to recreate. Many fans already know they will not be able to watch every match live. Office alarms, school runs and family commitments are likely to win a few battles against football.But not all of them.“Every four years, the World Cup exerts a pull unlike any other sporting event. It seeps into workplace conversations, takes over WhatsApp groups, revives old rivalries and creates new ones. Fans may be forced to choose their matches more judiciously this time, but few seem willing to sit out the tournament entirely,” said Das.The sleep deficit may be inevitable. Missing the World Cup, many insist, is not.
