For years, football enthusiasts in Jalpaiguri have associated World Cup celebrations with the iconic ‘Brazil House’ in Maskalaibari of the town.
But this year, the spotlight has expanded. On Sunday morning, as workers applied a fresh coat of paint and blue-and-white flags fluttered in the breeze, people gathered around a new attraction standing right in front of it — the ‘Argentina House’.
The two neighbouring houses have become symbols of one of football’s greatest rivalries. Situated side by side in the same neighbourhood, the yellow-and-green Brazil House now shares the limelight with the newly decorated blue-and-white Argentina House.
The transformation is the work of Shankhapani Das, an ardent supporter of Argentina. His residence, named ‘Dreamland’, has been converted into a football shrine dedicated to the reigning world champions.
“We support Argentina, the homeland of the ‘Prince of Football’, Diego Maradona. That is why we have decorated our house with the blue-white colour, along with Argentine flags and cutouts of Lionel Messi,” said Das, a government contractor.
As Argentina prepares for its opening World Cup game, excitement is building thousands of miles away in Jalpaiguri. Local artisans are busy creating cutouts of Messi and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
The rivalry extends beyond football and has become part of the neighbourhood’s identity.
The families of Shankhapani Das and his neighbour Ranjan Paul, who owns the ‘Brazil House’, share a close bond.
But whenever the FIFA World Cup or Copa América comes around, their friendship takes on a competitive edge.
As football fever sweeps through the town, residents and visitors alike have been flocking to the two houses. Selfie-seekers, vloggers and social media enthusiasts regularly stop by to capture photos and videos of the colourful displays.
Both families have embraced the attention, eagerly sharing the stories behind their passion for football.
Shankhapani remains confident that Argentina can successfully defend its title.
“We are the defending champions,” he said. “We have players like Martínez, Romero, and Messi. Just like last time, we’re among the favourites. My dream is to see Argentina lift the trophy again — and beat Brazil along the way.”
Ranjan responded with a smile after admiring the latest additions to his neighbour’s property.
“The house looks fantastic,” he joked. “But the team doesn’t look quite as good yet. Let them win first — then they can start talking.”
The football-inspired decorations are inspiring others in the community.
While photographing the two houses on Sunday, a Jalpaiguri resident and Portugal supporter, Rajib Das, said he was considering creating a themed home of his own.
“Seeing these houses makes me want to decorate mine in Portugal’s red and green colours and put up a giant cutout of Cristiano Ronaldo outside,” he laughed. “I just need to convince my family first. Then maybe people will come to see my house too.”