Saudi Arabia fans at the World Cup were in disbelief after their team shocked Argentina on Tuesday, setting off jubilant scenes in Qatar and the Saudi capital. (More Football News)
After one of the biggest upsets﷽ in the tournament’s history, fans flooded the streets outside Lusail Stadium waving green and white Saudi flags. Then they entered a nearby subway station chanting, singing — and even hugging Argentina fans.
Many were simply incredulous after the 2-1 comeback victory over Argentina, which won the World Cup twice in 1978 and 1986. And Argentina is one of the favorites this time — or it was until Tuesday — and also won the South Am🎃erican champ🍬ionship last year.
“I’m speechless,” Saudi Arabia fan ཧSultan Alharthi said. “I can’t even explain how much happy I am, because I didn’t expect we will win.
“I thought a draw would be fantastic against this team,” Alharthi added. “They came all the way just to win the World Cup. We did it today and I ꩲhave to take some time to realize what happened.”
Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Th♛ani attended the match, and at one point wrapped a Saudi flag over his shoulders. The moment, captured in online video and widely shared, would have been unthinkable only nearl❀y two years ago when Saudi Arabia and three other Arab nations boycotted Qatar over a political dispute.
On a giant screen near the official fan zone in Doha, a waving Saudi flag appeared a🎃mong advertisements every few moments, flashing the message: “Congratulations.”
In Saudi Arabia, King Salman announꦐced a snap public holiday for all workers and students in the kingdom in celebration of the win.
P𝐆eople watching the match at a fan zone in the capital, Riyadh, jumped with joy and cheered as the game ended. Drivers honked their horns in celebration. Saudi authorities also allowed free entry to a state-sponsored sports and entertainment festival.
The gravity 𓆉of the victory will eventually𒁏 sink in. Saudi Arabia is a team that had only ever won three World Cup matches in its history prior to Tuesday’s game.
“One for t﷽he books,” Saudi Arabia coach Hervé Renard said. “Sometimes things are completely crazy.”
Goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais, who made two key saves late in the game to preserve the win on Tuesday at Lusail Stadium north of Doha, was almost subdued at the end, perhaps not ♌grasping the magnitude of the up🗹set.
“I am very happy about this result that we have been able to obtain against this very storied team,” Alowais said solemnly. “We have prepared ourselves. We were 100% ready and hopefully we will have better results in the future. I felt we were especially good in the൲ last minutes because weಌ secured our three points.”
Not just in the last ✅minutes. Despite trailing 1-0 at halftime after a 10th-minute goal from Lionel Messi, perhaps the greatest soccer player of all time, Saleh Alshehri and Salem Aldawsari managed to score a goal each ♌early in the second half.
Then came more than 50 minutes, includin💜g added time at the end of the match at the referee’s disc♎retion, of holding one of the tournament favorites at bay.
“All the stars aligned for us,” said Renard, who won the African Cup of Nations as coa🔯ch of Zambia in 2012 and then again with Ivory Coast in 2015.
Renard🔯 has has also coached Anꦺgola and Morocco, which he guided to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He took over Saudi Arabia in 2019.
“We made history for Saudi football,” Renard said. “It will stay forever. This is the mos𒁃t important. But we also need to think about looking forward because we still have two games that are very very difficult for us.”
Renard said he asked his players to limit the celebration after the game to 20 m🀅inutes.
“That’s all,” he said. “But there are stil🎉l two games — or more.”
They still must face Poland on Saturday and then take on Mexico next Tuesday in Group C.ﷺ Both are pr🐬obably still favorites against Saudi Arabia — despite the upset.
He also suggested another possible truth: Messi and Argentina probably underestimated Saudi Arabia, which is only No. 51 in the FIFA rank♈ing. Argent♊ina is No. 3.
🐼“But you know the motivation is not like you are playing Brazil,” he added.
