Football Over School? Kerala's World Cup Final Holiday Is Real

Verdict: True. Kerala has officially declared a holiday for all schools under the General Education Department on Monday, July 20, to allow students to watch the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.

The announcement has sparked confusion on social media because similar claims circulated earlier in the tournament without official confirmation, leading many users to dismiss the latest news as fake. However, the state government has now formally confirmed the decision, making the holiday genuine.

Why people thought Kerala holiday news was fake

In the lead-up to the World Cup final, several viral posts claimed Kerala would shut schools for the match. At the time, there was no official government order, prompting fact-checkers and users to label the posts as misinformation.

Those earlier viral posts continue to circulate online, causing many to incorrectly believe that the latest announcement is also false.

The key difference is that the holiday has now been officially announced by Kerala's General Education Department.

General Education Minister N. Samsudheen confirmed the decision on social media, writing:"Happy now, children?"

He added that the holiday was granted after considering requests from students who wanted to stay up and watch the World Cup final, which kicks off after midnight IST.

The order applies to all schools under Kerala's General Education Department.

Why did Kerala declare the holiday?

The World Cup final between Argentina and Spain begins late on Sunday night and is expected to continue into the early hours of Monday.

Several political leaders, including former Education Minister V. Sivankutty, had urged the government to declare a holiday, arguing that students would struggle to attend school after staying awake to watch one of football's biggest matches.

He also suggested that the lost school day could later be compensated by making a Saturday a working day.

Social media reacts to Kerala Holiday: "Football is an emotion in Kerala"

The official announcement quickly went viral, with football fans celebrating the decision while others joked about missing out elsewhere.

Some of the most widely shared reactions included:

"Never heard something like this for even a Cricket World Cup Final in India with India participating in it."

Another user wrote:

"Best state from India for a reason... a big fan from Rosario."

A third post celebrated Kerala's football culture:

"Kerala Government Declared Holiday Tomorrow For School & College For The Argentina vs Spain FIFA World Cup Final. Football is an emotion in Kerala!!"

Not everyone was celebrating, however. One student joked:

"And I have exam tomorrow. I'm so cooked."

Verdict

Claims that Kerala has declared a holiday for schools because of the FIFA World Cup final are true.

While earlier social media posts about a possible holiday were unverified and contributed to confusion, the state government has now officially confirmed the decision through the General Education Department and Education Minister N. Samsudheen.

The holiday will be observed on **Monday, July 20**, for all schools functioning under Kerala's General Education Department, allowing students to stay up for the World Cup final without having to attend classes the following morning.