Saudi Arabia Announces National Holiday After Shock World Cup Win Over Argentina
Argentina was supposed to be among the favorites to win the tournament. The Saudis apparently didn’t get the memo.
Julian Finney/Getty Images
Saudi Arabia officials say Wednesday will be a national holiday to celebrate its men’s soccer team beating Argentina in the team’s opening game of the Qatar World Cup on Tuesday—one of the most shocking upsets in the tournament’s history. Bookmakers had Argentina as one of the favorites to win the tournament, with fans of Lionel Messi—widely considered one of the greatest players of all time—hoping he would finally win a World Cup in what was likely to be his last appearance at the competition. The 35-year-old PSG ace gave his team the lead with a penalty kick after just 10 minutes on Tuesday’s tie. But Saudi Arabia gallantly fought back, with Saleh Al-Shehri tying the match early in the second-half before Salem Al Dawsari scored a blistering win five minutes later. Argentina is now at the bottom of their World Cup group while Saudi Arabia—ranked 51st in the world—is top.
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