The 2022 World Cup is unlike any of its past renditions; not only for it being hosted in an Arab country for the first time ever in football history but ever since it kicked off on November 20th, the global event has seen some major milestones and unexpected events that both shocked and amazed the world. To keep you in the loop, we have compiled some of the biggest and coolest moments of this year’s coveted World Cup.
Saudi Arabia’s Shocking Victory
On November 22nd, during the match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia, history was made during the 45th minute mark when Saleh Alshehri scored an angled shot which was then followed by Salem Al-Dawasri’s steller goal, marking Saudi Arabia’s unexpected victory over Argentina with a winning score of 2-1. Immediately after the momentous win, Saudi fans hit up the streets outside Lusail stadium in celebration and waved their countries’ flag, singing and dancing along with fellow fans. Beyond Qatar, the entire Arab World joined in on the festivities with countries like Egypt and Jordan celebrating Saudi’s victory.
The celebrations continued when Saudi King Salman announced November 23rd as an official public holiday, meaning all public and private sector employees as well as students get to enjoy a festive day off.
A Rolls Royce Fantom For Each Saudi Falcon
The gravity of the historic win is quite big as Saudi Arabia’s national team had only ever won three World Cup matches prior to Tuesday’s game while Argentina had won the World Cup twice. That is why the Kingdom wanted to reward its national team with what can only be dubbed as a princely gift. It has been mentioned that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud has made a promise that he will gift each Saudi player a Rolls Royce Fantom with each car costing a whopping 460,000 dollars. This is not the first time that a Saudi Arabian player received such a luxurious gift as Saeed Al-Owairan was gifted a Rolls Royce after he scored the winning goal against Belgium in 1994.
The Unexpected Japan & Egypt Dance Party
Social media was at an all time buzz as users shared and re-shared a video across TikTok, YouTube and the like of the most unexpected dance party in history. Donned in traditional Qatari wear of a white flowing galabeya and loose headdress, a Japanese fan hit up the street and started busting out some moves to Hassan Shakosh’s “Lghbatita”. Egyptian fans joined in, turning the entire occasion into a full-fledged dance party that merged together two unique starkly different cultures on the sidelines of the global sporting event.
Hakimi’s Heartfelt Moment With His Mum
Making history yet again was Morocco’s unexpected victory against Belgium with a 2-0 win that left the crowd stunned. The moment was made even more special when defender Achraf Hamaki ran towards the sidelines to find his mother who stood in pride wearing the Moroccan flag. On finding her, she planted a kiss on his cheek which he followed with a kiss on her forehead, showcasing the powerful relationship between a mother and her son.
The Moroccan defender came from a modest upbringing as in the past his mother used to clean houses while his father worked as a street vendor. Today, Hakimi devotes every match and game for his parents, constantly wanting to make them proud and to honor them for the sacrifices they made so that he can battle it out on the soccer field.
Ronaldo’s Huge Record Breaking Scoring Streak
Cristiano Ronaldo, known as the ultimate record breaker when it comes to the world of football, continued his impressive streak on November 25th when he became the first ever player to score a goal in five separate World Cups. He broke the record by leading Portugal to its 3-1 victory against Qatar and scoring a goal for his country, marking another one of many shocking and exciting moments in World Cup history.
So far, these special moments will mark the 2022 World Cup season as one of the most unique and shocking renditions of the global sporting event. With it only being the first week of this 29 day spectacle, we are anticipating even more surprises and shocking events for the rest of the upcoming season.