Football fever grips Kolkata as World Cup kicks off

A street in Kolkata painted with the images of Argentina's Lionel Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo as the football World Cup gets under way in Qatar.

Football fever has gripped the city, known as India's football Mecca, with fans releasing paper sky lanterns (fanush) and adorning the walls of homes with the images of some of the world's leading footballers.

One of the painted murals features hands holding a globe that represents the nations featuring in the 2022 World Cup.