They support Portugal! The red-green flag flies high, a carnival ensues, with Goans taking to the roads with faces painted, sporting the country’s tees and shouting loudly, “Goaala!” and “Vivo Portugal!” and “Vai Portugal”.

That was when Portugal came to the semi-finals in the Euro Cup 2008. “Yesterday I saw a car completely dressed up in FIFA memorablia, even with vacuum stickers of all the teams' shirts vrooming along. It was on an island called Diwar and it brought home the Goan love for football!” says fashion designer Wendell Rodricks.
Rewind to a India-Pakistan One Day match five years ago, (when One Days were the flavour of the season). Two cricket enthusiasts looked for a restaurant or shack to watch the holy grail of cricket in India. They finally found a shack that had a TV with an English
Premiere League re-run being avidly watched by a few locals. When asked to change the channel to the ‘Live’ One Day, the shack guy refused, glaring.
The cricket enthusiasts were stunned.
This is Goa, and there’s no religion like football here. Goa’s fervour for the game pervades all walks of life. From Fatorda stadium in Goa, where Dempo FC and Churchill Bros fight each other to village corners where Nerul FC plays Candolim FC play ball the only way to do so, there is a community that gets together for the game. The village fisherwoman supports her team, doddering old folk catch a local football match and priests pray for Portugal at daily masses. This is the land of beaches which urns into a mini football stadium with football and feni on most lips, where streets around open stadiums fill with motorists catching the action as the “poi” (bread man) man partakes in gossip of the day, adding his own take to why Portugal is going to do well. “Because Goa says so!”
You might catch football fan Rodricks catching the game at his village and supporting Brazil amid innumerable football parties.
“We are happily staying up for all the matches and with Portugal’s relation to Brazil, it’s my team! I also like the eye candy Cristiano Ronaldo!” he chuckles. A crucial game and you'll definitely spot local hero Arjuna award winner Bruno Coutinho in a scruffle of football action on the beach with his village team. Even the politicians love their football. Candolim MLA Agnelo Fernandes has gathered all his friends to watch the matches in South Africa.
While the world sleeps or watches bleary-eyed, Goa comes alive with colours, flags, caps, bugles, whistles and larger than life screens showing FIFA matches late into the night. The supporters are dressed for the occasion, look down on someone who does not have a favourite team and are vocifereousin their screams. As the waiter, with his eyes glued to the screen pours a feni, he gives you tips that might just make you win that bet!
The fervour for the FIFA World Cup 2010 is loud and clear at football hubs. From Club Vasco Da Gama where matches are shown till the early hours as old footballers, young fans, Portuguese descent families and regular guzzlers get into the thick of everything about the game. There’s Ernesto’s in Panjim. Club Gaspar Dias overlooking the Miramar Beach has its own football din. There’s the youngster’s guzzle hub Down the Road, Marriot's new bar and Riviera de Goa in the North ready for the kick-off. The smaller restaurants too have an army of football lovers who take to the streets like they have won the World Cup if Portugal should strike a goal.
In South Goa, where the Portuguese flavour is brandished like a gleaming sword, Boomerang and Oceanique in Colva, Tangerine at Raia, BPS Sports Club in Margao sleep during the day to awaken at the first kick-off. And if you aren’t sure about the teams and players, ask anyone around. He or she will give you a run down that will make the commentators gape! And if there’s a family sitting, chances are that three generations of the family will be sitting and cheering Portugal! Brazil and Argentina, of course come next!