Late-night World Cup matches leave Kerala fans sleep-deprived
A video of legendary Indian footballer I.M. Vijayan wildly celebrating Argentina's last-gasp win against Egypt in the FIFA World Cup pre-quarterfinal has recently gone viral on social media. Vijayan, a devoted Argentina fan, retired from professional football long ago and from police service in 2025. He can now afford to lose sleep over late-night matches and catch up during the day.
But thousands of equally passionate fans in football-crazy Kerala do not enjoy that luxury, leaving many struggling through school and work due to lack of sleep. “Many students, both boys and girls, follow the World Cup closely. They stay awake in classrooms only because teachers do not let them sleep during lessons,” said Smitha Kurian, a teacher at SNDP Higher Secondary School, Udayamperoor, Ernakulam.
Saturday (July 11, 2026) marks a month since the World Cup began, and only a week remains before it concludes. During the group stage, matches were scheduled back-to-back from midnight until early morning, leaving football enthusiasts with barely any sleep.
Dr. Kichu George, a paediatrician, said he had not noticed a surge in cases of sleep deprivation among children linked to the World Cup. “That is probably because children up to a certain age follow only their favourite teams and may, at most, skip classes the day after a match. Parents are unlikely to let them stay up late frequently or miss school often,” he added.
Tech professionals, however, were perhaps the least affected, accustomed as they are to working across time zones. “To some extent, it has been a blessing in disguise for football fans among us. Many of us work through the night, and the match timings actually suited us,” said Aneesh Panthalani, State president of Progressive Techies, a collective of IT employees.
Since World Cup-related sleep deprivation is seasonal, its long-term impact is likely to be minimal. However, there may be temporary behavioural issues. “Sleep-deprived people can become irritable and angry at the slightest provocation. It may affect productivity and concentration in schools and offices. Many, though, try to compensate by taking short daytime naps to balance the sheer joy of pursuing their passion,” said noted psychiatrist C.J. John.
