Spanish captain Abel Ruiz being welcomed by Anwar Sadath, MLA. E.V. SreekumarKochi: Football fever gripped Kochi with the teams arriving in the city on Tuesday for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
European champions Spain were the first team to touch down in Kochi. The Spaniards were welcomed by the FIFA volunteers and Anwar Sadath, Aluva MLA, at the Cochin International Airport.
Sadath exchanged pleasantries with Spanish captain Abel Ruiz and head coach Santi Denia. Barcelona 'B' forward Ruiz, who is a prolific scorer, is one of the players to watch out for.
A youngster takes a photo of the Spanish players. E.V. SreekumarQuite a few excited youngsters were quick to click selfies with the Spanish players.
Spain are in Group D along with Brazil, Niger and North Korea.
Brazilian team members flash victory sign on their way to the hotel. Josekutty PanackalLa Roja open their campaign against Brazil at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Saturday. The match is touted as the game of the tournament.
Later in the day, the Brazilian, Niger, and North Korean teams also arrived in the city.
Brazil have a huge fan following in Kerala.
The Brazilians have suffered a big blow with star striker Vinicius Junior being forced to miss the tournament since his club Flamengo refused to release him for the October 6 to 28 event.
Kochi will stage six group games in addition to a pre-quarterfinal and a quarterfinal each.
Read also: More Sports News | FC Barcelona president admits club could quit La Liga
