In his recent post on social media, Vivek Oberoi shared pictures of having a good time with his son Vivaan as they attended a FIFA World Cup match in Qatar. Talking about their trip, minus wife Priyanka and daughter Ameyaa, who are “not into football”, Vivek told us, “My son is a huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and was sad that this world cup might be his last. So, I decided to take a small break from work and take him to see the Portugal versus Korea match.”

It was the first time that the actor was watching a world cup match live in a stadium. Sharing his experience, Vivek said, “The stadium was charged with energy. The game was evenly matched and exciting, but Korea scored a last minute goal, literally in the 90th minute and won. We had great seats right in front of the goal post and the atmosphere was electrifying!”

More than anything else, it was what his son told him after the match that left him emotional and made the trip worthwhile. He said, “Post the match, Vivaan hugged me and said that he would never forget this incredible experience. He told me, ‘Thank you for being the best dad ever.’ These are the moments that parents live for (smiles).”

The game also made Vivek nostalgic about the time he spent playing football in his younger days. He shared, “I was in my school’s football team and played a bunch of interschool competitive matches, too. I have some amazing memories of playing football in the Mumbai rains and coming home drenched in muck. Back then, the city didn’t have too many proper football grounds, so we practiced on Juhu beach sometimes and I loved every moment of it.”

Like his actor father, Vivaan also enjoys playing the game and Vivek hopes that watching the FIFA World Cup live has inspired him to love football even more. He said, “Vivaan is a part of his school’s football team. It’s lovely to hear his ‘war stories’ after a match. Even though he’s only nine, the intensity with which he plays is remarkable. The joy when his team wins and the sadness when his team loses...he shares it all with me.”

And what happens when the father-son duo get into action? “Playing football with Vivaan is the most fun cardio ever (laughs). We started playing together when he was only four and sometimes he takes me by surprise, because he’s become so good with all the practice at school. He’s definitely got the cooler moves than me, whether it’s playing or the goal celebrations,” added the proud father.

As he signed off, Vivek opened up about his favourite players and the team he’s rooting for this world cup. He said, “Well, I have no other choice than to support Portugal — my beta is super emotional since it’s probably Ronaldo’s last world cup and he wants him to score loads of goals and lift the cup. I am his best buddy right now, hence, I cannot cheer for anyone else, but Portugal! It’s so funny to watch him take sides in the GOAT fan battles between Lionel Messi and Ronaldo. My beta is growing up!”