It was 18 December 2022. A giant screen at the courtyard of the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) of Dhaka University showed the FIFA World Cup final late at night.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi scored the opening goal against France, prompting thousands of spectators to erupt together in celebration, shouting, “Goal!”

Bangladesh’s passion for the FIFA World Cup is longstanding. In 2022, however, the enthusiasm also caught the attention of global football’s governing body, FIFA.

FIFA shared several photographs of football celebrations in Dhaka on its Facebook page and wrote, “Nothing brings people together quite like football.”

Four years later, the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup is set to begin on 11 June across the three host nations — the United States, Canada and Mexico.

However, uncertainty has emerged in Bangladesh over whether people in the country will be able to watch the tournament.