FIFA fever: Dhoni gears up for the biggest soccer carnival

New Delhi: The biggest soccer festival, FIFA World Cup is around the corner and all the crazy fans across the world are set for this huge carnival. The FIFA fever also had its impact on Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. This is nothing new to know that he is an avid footballer apart from being a professional cricketer. Want to know Dhoni as a die-hard football fan? See picsDhoni who has been the latest celebrity to join the photo-blogging website Instagram, has posted an autographed Barcelona jersey from Lionel Messi.The Indian captain is a known football enthusiast and a Manchester United follower who dreamed of becoming a renowned soccer goalkeeper in his schooldays at Jawahar Vidya Mandir in Ranchi where he was a goalkeeper.Dhoni's love for football is not something new, as widespread media reports indicated that he had regular playing sessions well after his teenage years in Kharagpur, before he had turned a professional cricketer.He is making full use of his goalkeeping skills during wicket-keeping in cricket.Taking this into consideration his interest in soccer, Dhoni was also seen promoting the English Premier League (EPL) in India.Dhoni was roped in by STAR Sports for a promotional campaign -- 'Join the Game' – in August last year. He was seen in a TV ad with Drogba, Messi and Dhoni was invited to watch the match from the VIP gallery by a United official but instead preferred to sit in the crowd. Later, he was presented with a jersey signed by United players.It is believed that Dhoni's association with soccer can influence the sport in a big way in the country.Dhoni says that the game of soccer is extremely exciting and it's close to his heart. The talented batsman is normally glued to the TV watching football when he is with his family.He is always busy playing football in the week-ends if he is not busy with cricket.Even today, I play soccer as a warm up game ahead of key cricket matches," said Dhoni.Dhoni feels that Indian sports fans should consume different types of sports. He want them to be passionate about cricket as they are, but at the same time one needs to give healthy respect for other disciplines as well.With the FIFA World Cup starting June 12 and Dhoni getting a break from international cricket, expect him to follow every action on the soccer field with fan-like exuberance.