What Saudi Arabia’s football victory means for the Middle East
Its win earned an outpouring of Arab goodwill, while Iran’s silence was divisive
LAST MONTH Muhammad bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, summoned the national football team to deliver an odd pep talk: no one expects much from you. The Green Falcons were preparing for their sixth World Cup appearance. The past four ended in the group stage, with just a single win in 2018. This year they drew a tough bracket that included Argentina, a favourite to hoist the golden trophy.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Politics by other means”
Middle East & Africa November 26th 2022
From the November 26th 2022 edition
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