Kerala, Meghalaya declare holiday for all educational institutions tomorrow amid FIFA World Cup final fever

The Kerala and Meghalaya governments have declared a holiday tomorrow, on Monday, for all schools and higher educational institutions amid the FIFA World Cup 2026 final fever among students. The officials said the decision was taken after receiving requests from students who are football enthusiasts and wished to watch the World Cup final on Sunday night.

The Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma also announced a holiday for all educational institutions, allowing students to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 final.

Kerala’s general education minister N Samsudheen announced the holiday for schools through his social media accounts. The state’s higher education minister Roji M John also announced a holiday for colleges and professional educational institutions.

Kerala chief minister V D Satheesan posted on X account and said: “To ensure our young fans can enjoy the midnight thriller without worrying about school or college the next morning, the Government has declared a holiday for all educational institutions tomorrow. Stay up, cheer out loud, and enjoy the game.”

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Students raise concerns

According to Press Trust of India reports, in a Facebook post, CM Satheesan said the decision was taken after students raised concerns over attending classes after staying up late to watch the FIFA World Cup final match. He highlighted that if the match ended in regulation time, it would end around 2:30 am; however, extra time and a penalty shootout could extend it further.

"Children were asking how they could go to school after losing sleep watching the match. In this situation, the government has decided to declare a holiday for all educational institutions in the state, including professional colleges," he said.

Describing Kerala's passion for football as "unmatched", the CM said football lovers in the state had set an example with their enthusiasm for the sport.

Minister Samsudheen, higher education minister John and the sports minister O J Janeesh are known as football followers and have regularly posted on social media expressing support for their favourite teams during the FIFA World Cup. With Inputs from PTI