Watch: 30-Feet Cut-Out Of Football Star Lionel Messi Stands Tall in Kerala River

With only 17 days to go for the month-long festival of football, excitement is building amongst fans to see their favourite stars sweat it out in Qatar. Back home, ardent fans are gearing up for the biggest sporting event and going all the way out to support their favourite teams. Case in point: A 30-feet cut-out of Argentinian star Lionel Messi situated in the middle of the Kurungattu Kadavu river at Pullavoor in Kerala's Kozhikode.

A behind-the-scenes video featuring die-hard fans carrying the giant cut-out through the village has emerged on various social media websites, creating buzz online. The video, shared on Twitter by Rizwan, shows a team of youngsters carrying the cut-out that features Lionel Messi in his white and sky blue Argentina jersey. The clip shows an aerial-view of their journey through the village road.

Watch the video here:

Behind the Scene
Messi 💙🇦🇷#VamosArgentina 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/ySzaWQCn9y

— rizwan_m.m (@Rlzw4n) October 31, 2022

The same user also tweeted a photo showing the final result: the cut-out standing tall in middle of the river over a greenish area.

Here is the picture:

Messi 💙
📍Kozhikode, Kerala #VamosArgentina 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/XCrY5mToWI

— rizwan_m.m (@Rlzw4n) October 31, 2022

Reacting to the football craze in Kerala, one user wrote, "Unbelievable mannn.'' Another commented, "Imagine the scenes in Kerala when Messi finally gets his hands on the golden trophy!'' Drawing a comparison, a third said, ''Cristiano might be the most followed sportsman on social media but Leo Messi will always have the streets.''

The Kerala-based fans are confident that Messi and his Argentina team will win the golden trophy in Qatar. "We are confident that this is the year that our Mishiha (Messiah) will finally get his hands on the World Cup," Ahmed, a member of one of the many Messi fan clubs in Kozhikode told The News Minute.

Notably, this will be Messi's last World Cup. "Is it my last World Cup? Yes, surely yes, surely yes," Messi told Star+, as reported by Goal. "I am counting down the days to the World Cup. There is a bit of anxiety and nerves at the same time. Wanting it to be now and the nerves that were are already there, what is going to happen. It's the last one, how are we going to do. Yes, on the one hand, we can't wait for it to arrive and on the other hand, we're scared of wanting it to go well, " he said.

The FIFA World Cup will kickoff in Qatar on November 20, with 32 teams battling for the highest honour in international football.