The official FIFA World Cup Instagram handle has sent Indian fans into a frenzy, with a post commemorating both Indian cricket legend MS Dhoni and iconic Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. As the latter prepares to start his Euro 2024 campaign with Portugal, the FIFA World Cup account has made a unique comparison. Both players have made the No. 7 jersey their trademark in their respective sports. And FIFA used the opportunity to catch the hearts of Indian fans on the internet.
Posting a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo, the official FIFA World Cup account captioned: “Thala for a reason.” The phrase has gone viral among Indian cricket fans over the past year, being used whenever a reference to the number ‘7’ is made, as a tribute to the former India captain.
Now, on the eve of Portugal’s game against Czech Republic at Euro 2024, Ronaldo’s no. 7 was celebrated by FIFA by being compared to the trend.
“Thala for a reason” stands for “Leader for a reason” in Tamil, and is a trend that celebrates five-time IPL winning captain MS Dhoni.
FIFA’s post was regionally-limited to Indian viewers, and a clever tactic to garner the love of both Ronaldo and Dhoni fans in India.
Dhoni’s impending retirement rumours over the last two IPL seasons has created a wave of tribute towards the former India captain, and “Thala for a reason” is one of the trends that has become popular.
Ronaldo, who wears No. 7 for Portugal, will be aiming to fire Portugal towards a second Euro title, after their maiden trophy in Euro 2016. With the likes of Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao for company, Portugal are one of the favourites heading into Euro 2024.
Portugal play their first Euro 2024 game at 12:30 AM IST on Thursday, June 19.
