An ardent football lover, Rohit Mehta is excited about FIFA this year: Football is like meditation to me

Rohit Mehta is a football fan and is all set for the FIFA this year. He recently flew to Qatar to catch all the action live. The actor talks about the sport, the team he is supporting this year and the condition of football in India.

“I am a big Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo fan. I admire both these legends because they have their own unique style of playing. Being an ardent football lover I can't choose one of them,” smiles the actor, who has been a part of projects such as Veer Gometesha, Pardon.

“Football is like meditation” to Rohit. He adds, “Well, I think every sport is like one to many. You get completely engrossed in the game. Actually football requires everything: stamina, strategy , skills, team work and focus. If you are not focused on the ball, your game is gone. I don't think any sport demands that much commitment. Football is the most popular sport for a reason."

Ask if he thinks football hasn't got its due in India and he replies, “I support Brazil because when I was young and started watching football, the first match I saw was of Brazil and I saw Ronaldo playing for the team. It was that moment that still rules my heart. Since then Brazil is the team I always cheer for. Football is definitely getting its due in India, ISL (Indian super league) is doing great, and the northeast side of India is full of football culture. But yes, it is not as commercial as cricket but still it's much better than it was when I was in school. I am saying this because I wanted to be a footballer and told my father about this, but he said ‘beta play cricket not football’.”