Saudi Arabia, Tunisia Leave World Cup

Saleh Al-Shehri (C) of Saudi Arabia in action against Jorge Sanchez (R) of Mexico during the FIFA World Cup 2022 group C soccer match between Saudi Arabia and Mexico at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, 30 November 2022. EPA/Abedin Taherkenareh
Saleh Al-Shehri (C) of Saudi Arabia in action against Jorge Sanchez (R) of Mexico during the FIFA World Cup 2022 group C soccer match between Saudi Arabia and Mexico at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, 30 November 2022. EPA/Abedin Taherkenareh
TT

Saudi Arabia, Tunisia Leave World Cup

Saleh Al-Shehri (C) of Saudi Arabia in action against Jorge Sanchez (R) of Mexico during the FIFA World Cup 2022 group C soccer match between Saudi Arabia and Mexico at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, 30 November 2022. EPA/Abedin Taherkenareh
Saleh Al-Shehri (C) of Saudi Arabia in action against Jorge Sanchez (R) of Mexico during the FIFA World Cup 2022 group C soccer match between Saudi Arabia and Mexico at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, 30 November 2022. EPA/Abedin Taherkenareh

Saudi Arabia’s Salem Aldawsari scored on Wednesday in second-half stoppage time against Mexico. But Saudi Arabia was eliminated along with Mexico despite beating Argentina in its opening match.

Mexico beat Saudi Arabia 2-1.

Saudi Arabia had one of the tournament’s biggest ever upsets ever when it beat Argentina 2-1. But the Green Falcons couldn’t pull off another surprise in its second match, a 2-0 loss to Poland.

“Tonight it was difficult to breathe with the intensity Mexico put into the match," Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard said Wednesday.

Also Wednesday, Tunisia stunned France when captain Wahbi Khazri stretched to poke the ball past French goalkeeper Steve Mandanda in the 58th minute at the Education City Stadium.

A second-string France side -- already virtually assured of top spot -- suffered a 1-0 loss to Tunisia.

The north Africans' supporters counted down the final seconds to a famous victory over France that eased the pain of elimination.

"They still had top-class players out there but we were superb and I think the result is down to us," Tunisia goalscorer Khazri said.

"Unfortunately in football it is better not to have to rely on others for results, but we can go out with our heads held high."



‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
TT

‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)

The Paris Olympics look likely to get off to a soggy start.

Meteo-France, the French weather service, is predicting “flooding rains” Friday evening when the opening ceremony is set to unroll along the Seine River. But the show is set to go on as planned, starting at 1:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. CEST and should last more than three hours.

Already in the late afternoon, skies were gray with intermittent drizzle. There was a silver lining, though, with temperatures expected to stay relatively warm throughout the evening.

Instead of a traditional march into a stadium, about 6,800 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles). Though 10,700 athletes are expected to compete at these Olympics, hundreds of soccer players are based outside Paris, surfers are in Tahiti and many have yet to arrive for their events in the second week, organizers said Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands of people, including 320,000 paying and invited ticket-holders, are expected to line the Seine’s banks as athletes are paraded along the river on boats.