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Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on India's connection with France in terms of a strong football fanbase, noting the popularity of the French football team and its stars in India. He also wished France luck in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, noting their fine start in the tournament with a win.
Adressing the Indian diaspora in Paris during a community event, PM Modi spoke on how India and France have a connection in the form of love for football. "There is another thing that connects India and France: football. Football fever is at its peak right now. Its passion is visible everywhere in France. But the craze for football is at its peak in India too. The French team, in particular, has a huge fan following in India. France has started this World Cup with a resounding victory. I wish the French team all the best," said PM Modi. Notably, India played its first official international match as an independent nation against France on July 31, 1948. Playing mostly barefoot, the spirited Indian squad gave the French a massive scare, missing two penalties before ultimately losing 2 to 1. Despite the loss, the Indian team earned a standing ovation from the crowd. Moreover, Vikash Dhorasoo, a former French professional footballer of Indo-Mauritian descent, made history as the first player of Indian origin to compete in a FIFA World Cup. Dhorasoo's forefathers were Telugu-speaking individuals from Vizianagaram, in the present-day Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. His ancestors migrated from India to Mauritius to work on sugarcane plantations under the British colonial system before his parents eventually moved to France, where Vikash was born in 1973. He has frequently expressed pride in his Telugu heritage and Indian roots. Dhorasoo was selected for the French national team squad for the 2006 tournament in Germany. He appeared in two matches as a substitute (totaling 16 minutes of play), featuring in the games against Switzerland and South Korea. France ultimately reached the final, finishing as runners-up to Italy. Undoubtedly, India has a massive football fanbase, with millions of Indians following not only the Indian football, but top-tier leagues across the world such as Premier League (England), Ligue 1 (France), Bundesliga (Germany), La Liga (Spain) etc. France superstars Thierry Henry, Kylian Mbappe and Zinedine Zidane are some of the most popular and well-known footballers in India. Mbappe led France to a fine 3-1 win over Senegal in their FIFA WC opener on Wednesday. During the match, Mbappe went past Olivier Giroud's 57 goals, becoming the leading goal-scorer for France with 58 goals and also registered his name as the third-highest goal-scorer, outdoing Just Fontaine (13) and Pele (12). (ANI)
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