World Cup 2018: Panama declares public holiday after qualifying

The streets of Panama City were filled with people celebrating

The president of Panama has declared Wednesday to be a national holiday after the country qualified for the World Cup for the first time ever.

Juan Carlos Varela‏ said on Twitter: "The voice of the people has been heard... Tomorrow will be a national holiday."

The national team beat Costa Rica 2-1 in Panama City on Tuesday evening.

The president said public and private workers could take the day off, and school classes would also be cancelled.

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In a series of excited tweets, he shared a picture of himself signing the decree, adding "You deserve it".

Panamanians celebrated long into the night after the victory.

However, there has been some dispute over whether the team's first goal crossed the line.

Panama has tried to qualify for every football World Cup since 1978, but it has never been successful until now.

The country will take part in the 2018 competition, which starts in Russia next June.

The United States was in the same qualifying group for the North and Central America region, but failed to get through after losing against bottom-tea...and Tobago.

Mexico and Costa Rica were successful, and Honduras faces a play off against Australia.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news...a-41579670

Gotta admit, this is hardly big news in the UK, but it's still bigger then in the US LOL.

The fact Panama get a national holiday just for qualifying shows just how important the world cup still in most parts of the world.

Be odd not to see USA in the world cup. They often do very well as there is never any pressure to perform unlike the other nations in the tournament.

LOL at Fox outbidding ESPN for the 400 million dollar rights in the US next year and 2022. Can't see many Americans watching it now....

http://www.businessinside...17-10?IR=T

[Edited 10/11/17 16:06pm]

Good for them, congratulations people of Panama. Although i thought Panama didn't truly exist, now i see it really does.