Saudi Arabia declares a national holiday after beating Argentina in its opening World Cup match

Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has given the entire nation a day off after their massive World Cup win against Argentina.

The team was down 1-0 after Lionel Messi scored a penalty just 10 minutes into the match in Qatar.

But, the Saudi Arabian side didn’t let that get them down and managed to pull off what is already being called one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.

The match finished with the Middle Eastern country up 2-1 against their South American rivals.

As a result, the King celebrated the incredible win by declaring a holiday for everyone in the nation.

"It is directed that tomorrow, Wednesday, be a holiday for all employees in all sectors of the state and the private sector, and male and female students in all educational stages," a statement from the king said, as per The Athletic.

The win against Argentina places Saudi Arabia top of Group C for now.

Fans took to the streets after the game to celebrate in a very iconic way.

In footage shared on social media, fans were seen jumping up and down wildly celebrating and they didn't stop there.

In another clip, some fans were seen sitting atop a giant horse, much like the Trojans heading into Troy.

Thousands of Saudis crossed the border to witness the clash against Argentina at Lusail Stadium.

With a Trojan Horse, no less.

Saudi Arabia's coach Herve Renard, who was hired in 2019 to lead the qualification bid for Qatar, told reporters (via Reuters): "We made history for Saudi football, it will stay forever.

"That is the most important thing. But we have to look forward - we have two difficult games for us ahead."

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is intent on making the Middle Eastern country a sporting superpower, also received a shoutout from the coach.

"When I decided to coach this team three years ago I found all the support. We have a great federation president and also the Ministry of Sports," he said.

"When we met with the prince [Mohammed bin Salman], he did not put any pressure on us, and this is wonderful."

He added that the team will now buckle down to focus on their next match.

"You know the nature of the Saudi player, when will be flying, but we must keep our feet on the ground," Renard said.

The loss saw Argentina’s chances of winning the World Cup drop to just 8.6 percent, having sat at 12.6 percent prior to the tournament kicking off.

Fans may also be keen to know that Argentina had been favourites to top Group C - on 65.8 percent - but that’s since dropped to 27.3 percent.

Saudi Arabia now has a 46.2 percent chance of making it to the final 16 after their huge win.

Featured Image Credit: Abaca Press / Alamy. ZUMA Press / Alamy.

Topics: World Cup, Football, Sport, World News

Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang is a Digital Journalist at LADbible. During her career, she has interviewed Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull in the lead up to the 2016 federal election, ran an editorial campaign on the war in Yemen, and reported on homelessness in the lead-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding in Windsor. She also once wrote a yarn on the cheese and wine version of Fyre Festival.

@rlangjournalist