Srinagar, June 17 -- A group of college students huddles around a phone screen in a campus corridor. A cafe table turns into a heated debate over which team has the strongest midfield. Office colleagues keep checking updates between meetings. Late at night, living rooms stay lit long after midnight as families and friends gather to watch the biggest football tournament on earth.

That is what the FIFA World Cup looks like in Kashmir.

Football has always enjoyed a special place in the valley's sporting culture. Long before social media and streaming platforms changed the way people followed sports, football grounds attracted huge crowds. Matches at SP College, Polo Ground, Eidgah and many local fields drew supporters who followed the game...