Kickin’ it at the World Cup

We're now over a quarter of the way through the World Cup – and here are the three biggest pieces of news from our holiday break.

🇸🇦 David beats Goliath: Saudi Arabia, ranked 51st in the world, beat No. 3-ranked Argentina, the team favored by bettors to win the World Cup, on Tuesday in one of the biggest upsets in tourney history. The 2-1 loss snapped a 36-game unbeaten streak for Argentina, which was one shy of the all-time record, and kicked off a a national celebration in Saudi Arabia. Following the upset victory, Saudi's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, declared November 22 a national holiday and promised each team member a Rolls-Royce Phantom.

🇺🇸 Win or go home: The US Men’s National Team finished with its second consecutive draw after playing England on Friday, with neither team scoring a single goal (this result means England still has never beaten the US at the World Cup). Up next for Team USA is Iran, a matchup scheduled for tomorrow. If America wins, they’re guaranteed to advance to the knockout round – but a tie or loss means elimination.

🏳️‍🌈📱 Meanwhile, off the field: European teams all walked back plans to wear rainbow armbands in support of LGBTQ+ rights, after FIFA warned it would issue a yellow card to any player wearing it. Separately, the US Soccer Federation briefly displayed Iran’s national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic, a move the federation said was intended to show support for ongoing anti-government protests.

+Dive deeper: See a full tournament schedule and results.