Dhaka, June 13 -- Streets across Bangladesh have filled with the flags of Brazil and Argentina as World Cup fever grips a nation that has never qualified for the tournament but counts among the most passionate supporters of both sides anywhere in the world.

Football fans have been rushing since May to outdo each other with giant flags of the two rivals, one of the rare occasions when the fiercely patriotic nation embraces foreign colours, the Independent reports.

Outside residential areas, towering cut-outs of Lionel Messi have appeared, and fans have flocked to sports markets in Dhaka's upmarket Gulshan neighbourhood to buy replica Argentina and Brazil jerseys priced around Tk 500.

The country's affection for the two Latin American na...