Kozhikode: A sea of football fans, including children, had assembled in the open, on the seaside village of Nainamvalappu in Kerala's Kozhikode district, to witness Argentina's crucial match against Mexico in Group C of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar on a giant screen.

The locality known for its football frenzy has readied a huge LED screen at one end of the viewing area the size of a football pitch. "At least a thousand fans are here," said Subair Nainamvalappu, President of the Nainamvalappu Football Fans Association.

Tarps and chairs are arranged for the spectators. Some have settled in their bike and scooter seats while others remain on their feets to witness the match.

Subair said there was a sizeable crowd even for Brazil's world cup opener against Serbia the other day.

Nainamvalappu has a history of public screenings of popular football events. It is a tradition they started in the late 1990s with the Copa America.

South American giants Brazil and Argentina have a large fan following in Kerala, especially in the northern districts of Kozhikode and Malappuram.

Argentina's progress in the world cup depended on the outcome of the match and the La Albiceleste won 2-0 to keep their Round-of-16 hopes alive.

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