Saudi Arabia fans, rejoice.
After the Green Falcons’ colossal 2-1 upset over Lionel Messi and Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday, King Salman ordered a public holiday for the nation on Wednesday.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
Employees in Saudi Arabia working in the government and private sectors and students in all phases of education will enjoy the day off thanks to two goals from Saleh Alshehri and Salem Aldawsari.
Messi and Co. took the lead in the 10th minute thanks to a penalty kick, and could’ve added on to the lead if not for multiple offside goals that were defended well by Saudi Arabia’s high line.
The momentum completely flipped in the second half with Alshehri’s tight finish to the bottom right corner in the 48th minute, which was followed up by a thumping hit from Aldawsari just five minutes later.
Local
Argentina came into the tournament as heavy favorites to take home the World Cup title, but its momentum – and a 36-game unbeaten run – came to an abrupt halt at the hands of Saudi Arabia.
The Green Falcons will take on Poland in their second Group C game on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 8 a.m. ET, 5 a.m. PT at the Education City Stadium in Ar-Rayyan, Qatar.
