Vivek Oberoi on his wish to see India in FIFA: Unfortunately, we have been very focused only on cricket

The fever for FIFA World Cup is rising and how, and our Bollywood celebrities are not leaving any opportunity to attend the matches in Qatar. Vivek Oberoi travelled with his son Vivaan to attend Portugal vs South Korea match and he calls then whole experience incredible.

“My son Vivaan is a huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and was sad that this World Cup might be Ronaldo’s last. I was super busy promoting [my latest film] Dharavi Bank and shooting my next assignment but I decided to take a small break and take him to see the match,” the 46-year-old tells us.

Asked which team he is rooting for an any particular player he likes watching on the field, Oberoi shares, “I have no other choice but to support Portugal, my son is super emotional since it’s potentially Ronaldo’s last World Cup, he wants him to score loads of goals and lift the cup. His dad is his best buddy right now, and therefore I cannot cheer for any other team or player. It’s so funny to watch him take sides in the GOAT fan battles between Messi and Ronaldo. My beta is growing up!”

For those missing the FIFA World Cup action live, Oberoi says, “The World Cup only happens once in four years, so any opportunity to experience that fervour is one that should not be missed. The electric atmosphere, the global diaspora of fans coming together to celebrate the sport, being a part of the Mexican wave, these are truly memorable experiences. If given a chance, I’d love to watch a football match with (cricketer) Virat Kohli since he, too, is an avid football fan.”

The actor also sheds light on the current situation of football in India and expresses that he’d wish to see India playing the football World Cup someday.

“I would love to see my country excel in all sports. Sports are amazing for building character and channel the energy of the youth into productive pursuits and teach us very valuable life lessons. Unfortunately, we have been very focused only on cricket, but in the past decade I see a lot of promise in other sports,” he continues, “Leagues like kabaddi and soccer are inspiring so many. Icons like Sania Mirza, Mary Kom and Saina Nehwal are inspiring generations of girls to aspire for global recognition in sports. The most important thing is the mindset of Indian parents to place more value on sports in life.”

On similar lines, Oberoi also hopes to see football reaching the level of cricket in India. “When I see football clubs all over the world, the loyalty they command and their infrastructure helps create world class athletes. We do have bastions like Bengal, Goa and Kerala that keep the football flag flying high, but I would love to see more encouragement for all other sports too!” he states.