Thrissur village celebrates Malayali's World Cup presence with Kerala's tallest football cut-out

Amid the excitement of the FIFA World Cup, a village in Thrissur has chosen to honour a footballer with Malayali roots who is representing Qatar on the global stage.

With the slogan "Naaley En Naadum Varum" (One day, my nation too will arrive) and a firm belief that India will one day qualify for the FIFA World Cup, residents of Pathramangalam village in Thrissur district have erected a 60-foot-tall cut-out of Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid. Tahsin, a winger in Qatar's 26-member World Cup squad, is the youngest son of Thalassery native Jamshid and Valapattanam native Shaima.

Installed amid the village's paddy fields, the cut-out is believed to be the tallest football cut-out erected in Kerala during the ongoing World Cup. The villagers also marked Tahsin's birthday by cutting cakes and releasing a music album dedicated to him. 

Pathramangalam is known for its rich sporting heritage and is the hometown of Mohammed Shafeek, who represented the Indian national football team. During the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Pathramangalam drew attention after installing a 53-foot cut-out of Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri.

Jagan, a resident of the village, said he hopes Tahsin will go on to achieve global recognition alongside football stars such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo. Another villager, Anil, said Tahsin's success on the international stage has inspired football fans and aspiring players across Kerala.

For the football enthusiasts of this small Thrissur village, the towering tribute symbolises two dreams: the hope of seeing India compete at the FIFA World Cup and the pride of watching a footballer of Malayali origin shine on one of the sport's biggest stages.