Saudi star reveals ice-cold sledge for Messi

1 year ago 78

Saudi Arabian defender Ali Al Bulayhi has revealed the mid-match taunt helium deed Argentina superstar Lionel Messi with during his side's stunning upset triumph against the World Cup favourites.

The Saudis overwhelmed the reigning South American champions successful the 2nd fractional of their radical signifier clash, running retired 2-1 winners successful Lusail.

As the Saudis erupted successful the 2nd half, footage emerged of Al Bulayhi tapping Messi connected the backmost and offering immoderate prime words towards the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Following the match, helium was asked precisely what helium told Messi and revealed the 3 words helium told arguably the top subordinate successful the game's history: "You won't win".

Overjoyed fans erupted successful solemnisation astir the Arab satellite pursuing the Saudis' shocking triumph.

From Syria and Jordan to Gaza and Qatar - big of this year’s World Cup - fans basked successful Saudi Arabia's achievement, 1 of the biggest upsets successful the tournament’s history.

Immediately aft their team’s 2-1 come-from-behind victory, Saudi fans who witnessed the lucifer successful idiosyncratic flooded the streets extracurricular Lusail Stadium waving their country’s greenish and achromatic flags portion chanting and singing - and adjacent hugging distraught Argentina fans.

“I'm speechless," Saudi Arabia instrumentality Sultan Alharthi said. "I can't adjacent explicate however overmuch blessed I am, due to the fact that I didn’t expect we volition win.

Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, attended the match, and astatine 1 constituent wrapped a Saudi emblem implicit his shoulders. The moment, captured successful online video and wide shared, would person been unthinkable astir 2 years agone erstwhile Saudi Arabia and 3 different Arab nations boycotted Qatar implicit a governmental dispute.

In northwestern Syria, the war-torn country’s rebel stronghold, residents gathered astatine cafes cheered and celebrated aft the last whistle. It was a pleasant alteration for the enclave, wherever millions endure from predominant airstrikes and poverty.

In the metropolis of Idlib, Ahmad Al-Absi said Saudi Arabia’s triumph was a overmuch needed morale boost for Syrians and Arabs crossed the Middle East, adjacent if it meant seeing his favourite shot squad lose.

“It shows that we person talented radical who tin execute things connected a planetary stage,” Al-Absi, an Argentina fan, told The Associated Press.

“We’re dreaming of amended futures arsenic Arabs, and this morale boost reminds america that thing is impossible.”

In the streets of Amman, Jordan, dozens of Saudi nationals and Jordanians celebrated successful the streets, carrying Saudi flags oregon placing them connected their cars and blaring their horns.

And successful Gaza, Palestinian residents rejoiced, saying they stood with Saudi Arabia successful its infinitesimal of shot glory. “They basal with america politically and socially, truthful these celebrations are benignant of reciprocation,” said Gaza nonmigratory Abu Khalil.

In Saudi Arabia, King Salman announced a drawback nationalist vacation for each workers and students successful the kingdom successful solemnisation of the win.

People watching the lucifer astatine a instrumentality portion successful the capital, Riyadh, jumped with joyousness and cheered arsenic the crippled ended. Drivers honked their horns successful celebration. Saudi authorities besides allowed escaped introduction to a state-sponsored sports and amusement festival.

The gravity of the triumph volition yet descend in. Saudi Arabia is simply a squad that had lone ever won 3 World Cup matches successful its past anterior to Tuesday's game.

Argentina, which won the World Cup successful 1978 and 1986, is - oregon was - 1 of the favourites this year.

“One for the books,” Saudi Arabia manager Hervé Renard said.

“Sometimes things are wholly crazy.”

Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais, who made 2 cardinal saves precocious successful the game, was astir subdued astatine the end, possibly not grasping the magnitude of the upset.

“I americium precise blessed astir this effect that we person been capable to get against this precise storied team,” Alowais said solemnly.

“We person prepared ourselves. We were 100 per cent acceptable and hopefully we volition person amended results successful the future."

Despite trailing 1-0 astatine halftime aft a 10th infinitesimal extremity from Messi, Saleh Alshehri and Salem Aldawsari managed to people a extremity each aboriginal successful the 2nd half.

Then came much than 50 minutes, including added clip astatine the extremity of the lucifer astatine the referee's discretion, of holding 1 of the tourney favourites astatine bay.

“All the stars aligned for us,” said Renard, who won the African Cup of Nations arsenic manager of Zambia successful 2012 and past again with Ivory Coast successful 2015.

Renard has has besides coached Angola and Morocco, which helium guided to the 2018 World Cup successful Russia. He took implicit Saudi Arabia successful 2019.

“We made past for Saudi football," Renard said.

"It volition enactment forever. This is the astir important. But we besides request to deliberation astir looking guardant due to the fact that we inactive person 2 games that are precise very hard for us.”

Renard said helium asked his players to bounds the solemnisation aft the crippled to 20 minutes.

“That’s all,” helium said. “But determination are inactive 2 games - oregon more.”

They inactive indispensable look Poland connected Saturday and past instrumentality connected Mexico adjacent Tuesday successful Group C. Both are astir apt inactive favourites against Saudi Arabia — contempt the upset.

He besides suggested different imaginable truth: Messi and Argentina astir apt underestimated Saudi Arabia, which is lone No.51 successful the FIFA ranking. Argentina is No.3.

“But you cognize the information is not similar you are playing Brazil,” helium added.

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