On the Jeddah Corniche on the Red Sea, in the heart of the capital Riyadh, and in towns and villages across Saudi Arabia, the seismic World Cup win over Lionel Messi's Argentina was celebrated as a coming of age.
The outsiders against an Argentinian team on a 36-match winning streak delivered, and yesterday that was all that mattered to Saudi leaders and the fans who circled public squares in convoys of cars, waving the country's flag. "We are so happy about the result. It was an exceptional match from our Falcons," said Ghassan Alwan, 42, the marketing director at the Saudi ministry of housing. "Our faith in our players was in the right place. We wrote history tonight."
Euphoria reached the inner circle of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, pictured embracing his brothers after the full-time whistle, as well as sports cafes and public parks across the country.
This story is from the November 23, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 23, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Waking a dormant giant: Marseille are on a mission
Getting to grips with the French club is like 'sitting on a volcano' but they are thinking big and a Europa League semi-final awaits.
'Croke Park is steeped in culture. It means so much'
Leinster prop Porter aims touse recent European pain as fuel for semi-final gain against Northampton
Surrey’s Steel flexes golden arm to thrust himself into limelight
Leg-spinner who isthe top wicket-taker despite early start to Championship has England ambitions
'It's punishing' Non-dom says tax change will force him to leave Britain
Bassim Haidar is house hunting. He owns \"more than 10 properties\" in central including a London, £20m five-bedroom flat near Chelsea's Sloane Square.
Japan's empty homes top 9m as population keeps falling
As the declining population continues to affect Japan's society, the number of vacant houses has topped 9m - enough to accommodate the entire population of Australia at three people per dwelling.
Liberty leads the people - but now showing her true colours
For almost 200 years, she has been the definitive symbol of the French republic. Now, after a much-needed facelift, Eugène Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People will rise above the fray of revolutionary anarchy in her true colours once more.
Netanyahu faces new pressure to let more aid into Gaza as talks on hostages continue
Israel's leaders were under renewed pressure to allow more aid into Gaza yesterday, after the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, told Benjamin Netanyahu to \"accelerate and sustain improvements\" in the amount of humanitarian assistance reaching the territory.
EU calls for halt to police violence inGeorgia after force used on protesters
Western politicians and diplomats have called for a halt to rising violence in Georgia after security forces used water cannon, tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets overnight to break up a peaceful rally against a \"foreign influence\" bill.
Trans rights row with Rowling is really sad’Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe has described his rupture with JK Rowling over trans rights as \"really sad\", and said that her role in his life as the creator of Harry Potter \"doesn't mean you owe the things you truly believe to someone else for your entire life\".
Infected blood inquiry: study saying risks were tolerable’ omitted death
A study cited at the infected blood inquiry as evidence that the devastating consequences of blood products contaminated with hepatitis could not have been foreseen misrepresented the results of a trial in making its case, the Guardian can reveal.
