Even the Saudi Team Is Stunned After Victory Over Argentina

Even the country's de facto leader has played down expectations. Wednesday became a national holiday after a win over Lionel Messi's Argentina resulted in one of the most shocking results in World Cup history.

LUSELL, Qatar — Saudi Arabia lost the World Cup to Argentina on Tuesday in a thrill of the sort that few in global football expected, a result that was one of the biggest shocks in the World Cup's 92-year history. Yet no one was more surprised than the Saudis themselves.

The country has won just one tournament at the World Cup since 1998. Unlike traditional World Cup powerhouses, it will not invite stars from Western Europe's major leagues into its squad. Instead, its players come from the country's disrespected but well-supported domestic league. The Saudis started the game with the longest odds on the field: 1,000 to 1.

Few have given the Saudis the chance to win the game, let alone the strength of Argentina and Lionel Messi, arguably the best player the sport has ever seen. Even Prince Mohammed played down expectations ahead of the team's trip to Qatar, urging players to "relax and enjoy the game". They enjoy it.

Tens of thousands of Saudi fans crossed the border - a journey that would have been impossible two years ago when a Saudi-led blockade cut off Qatar's tiny peninsula from its neighbors - to watch the country's first match in the tournament. Match, albeit with more hopes than expectations.

It's a remarkable demonstration for Saudi Arabia, a country of some 36 million people who didn't make the sport a national priority until 2016. That year, its sports directorate announced a $650 million investment to develop local athletes and teams and attract international events. Girls did not start physical education until 2017.

Although Saudi Arabia has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years buying up global sports businesses — acquiring the rights to the Formula 1 Grand Prix through its sovereign wealth fund, investing in Premier League outfit Newcastle United and backing the split LIV golf tour — it is The World Cup stage remains a small but regular place.

However, football is a matter of pride. Saudi Arabia's domestic football culture is passionate and organic, with its top club teams, some of the strongest in Asia, attracting large audiences and boasting a loyal and prestigious fan base.

The number of fans in attendance at Lusail reflected this. Saudi authorities have eased restrictions on overland travel to allow fans to watch the World Cup, with the country's tourism minister saying ahead of the game that there will be 240 weekly flights between Saudi Arabia and Qatar instead of the usual six.

Ibrahim al-Kassim, general secretary of the Saudi Football Federation, has promised that the kingdom will send enough fans "to exceed half the capacity of stadiums in every match".

However, not all were particularly familiar with the teams they observed. "I don't really watch Saudi football," said Ali Al Jubar, a fan who was a two-hour bus ride from the border. He said his interest was in European teams in general, Manchester City and Liverpool in particular. "But this is the biggest outcome for Saudi Arabia," he said.

The significance of the win - the biggest in Saudi history and likely to be remembered as one of the World Cup's most stunning results - can be read in the response. In addition to Saudi fans sharing memes of Messi as a roast goat - matching his (disputed) status as the greatest footballer of all time - Haramain Sharifin, the official media outlet of the two holy mosques, tweeted Posted a message, the country's flag and a green heart.

Amid the euphoria, Hervé Renard, the team's well-informed French coach, did his best to remain calm.
"Sometimes the stars line up in the sky," he said. "That will stay with us forever. We had a small team, but today all the Saudis came together. We have to account for all 35 million of them. This is something for the history books."

The significance of the win - the biggest in Saudi history and likely to be remembered as one of the World Cup's most stunning results - can be read in the response. In addition to Saudi fans sharing memes of Messi as a roast goat - matching his (disputed) status as the greatest footballer of all time - Haramain Sharifin, the official media outlet of the two holy mosques, tweeted Posted a message, the country's flag and a green heart.

Amid the euphoria, Hervé Renard, the team's well-informed French coach, did his best to remain calm.
"Sometimes the stars line up in the sky," he said. "That will stay with us forever. We had a small team, but today all the Saudis came together. We have to account for all 35 million of them. This is something for the history books."