Every four years, football takes over the streets, homes and conversations of Bangladesh.

The streets fill with the flags and colours of Argentina, Brazil, Germany, France and other football giants. Tea stalls turn into small discussion arenas where fans debate tactics, predict winners and argue over their favourite players. Families stay awake deep into the night to watch matches being played thousands of kilometres away. Social media becomes filled with celebrations, jokes, predictions and heartbreak.

Although Bangladesh is not part of the FIFA World Cup, the excitement surrounding the tournament is undeniable. For many people, the World Cup is more than a sporting event; it is a month-long festival that changes the rhythm of everyday life.

But behind the excitement is another story that receives far less attention: how women experience this football fever inside their homes.

The World Cup is not simply about the 90 minutes on the field. It reshapes family routines, sleeping schedules and everyday household activities. Matches often begin at midnight, 2 am or even 4 am Bangladesh time. Dinner schedules change. Late-night tea, snacks and meals become part of the viewing experience. Television screens remain on for hours as family members gather together.

A football fan who stays awake until 3 am may see the next day as an opportunity to discuss the match, share opinions and relive the excitement. But someone who stayed awake preparing food, cleaning afterwards or managing the household may simply experience it as a lack of sleep and another busy day. The issue is not whether women watch football. The question is whether they get to watch it in the same way.

For many football fans, especially men, the tournament becomes a temporary escape from routine. It is a time to relax, celebrate and connect with others. A late-night match can become a memory shared among friends and family members for years.

For many women, however, the experience can be more complicated. This does not mean women do not enjoy football. Many women in Bangladesh follow football closely, support teams, discuss players and celebrate victories. The idea that football belongs only to men is changing. Women's interest in the sport has grown, and many are active participants in the excitement.

However, the way women experience the World Cup is often shaped by their responsibilities inside the home. A woman may be watching the same match as everyone else, but her attention may not remain fixed on the screen. A child may need something. Food may need to be prepared. Someone may ask for tea or snacks. The kitchen may require attention. Elderly family members may need help. As the match continues, her role continues too.

A university student, Raima, described this experience while talking about late-night matches. "I really enjoy watching football, especially the World Cup. I have my own favourite teams and players. But during big matches, everyone also expects snacks, tea or other things. Sometimes I miss important moments because I am helping my mother at home," she said. Her experience reflects a reality many women quietly face — being included in the celebration while also carrying the responsibility of making the celebration comfortable for others.

The next morning, daily life returns as usual. Children still need to get ready for school. Breakfast needs to be prepared. Workplaces need to be reached on time. Household responsibilities do not pause simply because there was a football match the previous night.

For working women, the pressure can become even greater. Staying awake for a late-night match may be a personal choice, but the consequences often remain. A woman may enjoy the excitement of football but still have to wake up early, manage family responsibilities and complete professional duties. This creates a difference in how leisure is experienced.

A football fan who stays awake until 3 am may see the next day as an opportunity to discuss the match, share opinions and relive the excitement. But someone who stayed awake preparing food, cleaning afterwards or managing the household may simply experience it as a lack of sleep and another busy day.

The issue is not whether women watch football. The question is whether they get to watch it in the same way.

Atia Sanjida Shushoma, a faculty member at the Department of Women and Gender Studies at the University of Dhaka, said the World Cup highlights a larger social issue: unpaid care work and how invisible it often becomes.

"Unpaid care work is definitely a major issue, not only in Bangladesh but globally. This area remains invisible," she said.

According to her, the World Cup is only one example of a broader pattern.

"Not only the FIFA World Cup, but also other major celebrations like Puja, Eid, Boishakh or New Year — if we look at these from a broader perspective, we notice the celebration itself. But behind it, there are many things that need to be done. The joy people experience during celebrations often depends on preparation that remains unnoticed. Cooking, serving guests, cleaning, organising and managing household needs are forms of labour that frequently fall on women. During a major football tournament, people usually focus on the excitement: the goals, the teams and the atmosphere. Less attention is given to the work happening behind the scenes that allows everyone else to enjoy."

Shushoma explained that this experience exists across different sections of society, although the situation may differ from household to household. The issue, she said, is not only about the amount of work women do, but also whose time is considered available.

Some families may have domestic workers who help manage responsibilities. However, this does not necessarily remove the gendered nature of care work because the person doing that labour is often another woman who also has responsibilities in her own home.

Women often have less uninterrupted leisure time. Even when they participate in something enjoyable, their attention can remain divided.

Shushoma shared an example from her own family. She said her mother was interested in football and watched matches, but she could not sit continuously because household responsibilities kept interrupting her. "While she is watching, that is fine, but her main focus remains on household chores," she said.

These moments reveal something deeper about society: many forms of domestic labour have become so normalised that people no longer recognise them as work.

Popular culture often reinforces this idea. Advertisements and social images frequently show women cooking, serving and managing homes perfectly and effortlessly. In many Bangladeshi advertisements, during family occasions or celebrations, women are portrayed as taking care of every detail — preparing food, managing the kitchen and organising everything — before finally joining the gathering themselves. These portrayals normalise women's labour as a natural part of care and family life, making the time and effort behind it less visible.

Such images often create the impression that women carry out these tasks naturally and effortlessly. In reality, however, domestic work demands considerable time, energy and continuous labour. Yet women's experiences are not identical everywhere. Some families are changing, and household responsibilities are becoming more shared.

The World Cup does not create these differences. It reveals them. Behind every late-night viewing party, every family gathering around a television and every celebration of football passion, there may be someone whose work makes that moment possible. Their contribution rarely appears in sports coverage or social media posts about Bangladesh's football enthusiasm.

A young professional, Khurshida, said her family's World Cup nights have become more equal over time. "Before, my mother handled almost everything — making tea, preparing food and organising things. Now my father and brother also help. We watch together and everyone contributes," she said.

These small changes suggest that household roles are not fixed. They can shift when families recognise that enjoyment and responsibility should be shared.

The World Cup does not create these differences. It reveals them. Behind every late-night viewing party, every family gathering around a television and every celebration of football passion, there may be someone whose work makes that moment possible.

Their contribution rarely appears in sports coverage or social media posts about Bangladesh's football enthusiasm.

Yet their labour is part of the story. The FIFA World Cup may be a celebration of football, but it also offers a chance to look more closely at everyday life — at who gets to enjoy the moment, who supports it from behind the scenes and whether the responsibilities that make celebrations possible are truly being shared. Because football may be played on the field, but the experience of football is also created inside homes.

As millions cheer goals and celebrate victories, the World Cup also offers an opportunity to ask a simple question: who makes these moments possible, and are they getting the same chance to enjoy them?

Musrat Hossain Mithila works at the Slow Reads, The Daily Star. She can be reached at [email protected]

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