Saudi Government Designates Holiday to Commemorate 'Rasail's Miracle'
UAE Vice President and Prime Minister: "Saudi Brings Joy to the Arab World"
Saudi Arabia was thrilled by the 'Miracle of Lusail.' They even designated a public holiday to remember and cherish it for a long time.
On the 22nd (local time), Saudi Arabia achieved a 2-1 comeback victory against Argentina in the first match of Group C in the 2022 FIFA World Cup group stage held at Lusail Stadium in Qatar. Although they conceded the opening goal to Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain) via a penalty kick, they turned the game around with an equalizer from Saleh Al-Shehri and a winning goal from Salim Al-Dawsari.
Saudi Arabia is ranked 51st in the FIFA rankings, the second lowest among the thirty-two countries participating in this tournament. Argentina is ranked 3rd. Having remained unbeaten in their last thirty-six A matches, they were considered strong contenders for the championship. However, after conceding the comeback, they showed signs of impatience and missed several opportunities, becoming the victim of a major upset.
The citizens, who had been cheering by painting the Saudi capital Riyadh green, rejoiced together over the newly written history. The Saudi government designated the following day, the 23rd, as a public holiday to commemorate the event. The prominent Gulf region daily, Khaleej Times, reported that "Cameroon also declared a public holiday immediately after their 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 1990 Italy World Cup."
The miracle created by Saudi football is spreading joy throughout the Middle East. Football fans from countries that did not qualify for the World Cup, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Lebanon, are sending support to the players who restored the pride of Arab football through social media. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and the UAE’s Vice President and Prime Minister, posted on social media after the match, "Saudi Arabia is a team deserving of victory. They brought joy to the Arab world and made us happy," offering his congratulations.
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