FIFA World Cup final 2026: Kerala declares July 20 an educational holiday

Chief Minister VD Satheesan has declared a holiday for educational institutions, including professional colleges, on Monday, July 20, 2026, due to the FIFA World Cup finals.

FIFA World Cup 2026 | Kerala’s football craze in photos

The Prime Ministry announced that there will be no change in the previously determined exam schedule on Monday, July 20, 2026. A CMO official said that the timing of the broadcast of the Argentina-Spain final in India, which will start at 12.30 pm India Standard Time (IST), will keep football fans, a significant section of students and parents, awake until early hours and disrupt the day’s schedule.

He also said that the CMO was besieged by demands for a holiday on Monday, July 20, 2026 from students, parents and educational institutions. He said Mr. Satheesan directed the General Education Department to officially notify the holiday and regulate the proceedings.

General Education Minister N. Shamshudeen’s office was also flooded with similar demands, which set the government on the path to take a decision, given the intense public sentiment.

Also politicians including former Minister of General Education and Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader V. Sivankutty and Pala Municipality chairman Diya Binu Pulikandam had requested the government to declare a holiday on Monday to allow students and parents to recover after what looked like an exciting finale after tumultuous celebrations on the streets until the morning.

Football fans and associations in Kerala welcomed the government’s decision with great fanfare. Fans, residents’ associations and sports clubs installed giant wall-sized LED screens in squares and parks to announce the spirit of the match to the spectators. Police also ordered a full-scale deployment due to the expected large turnout of fans, including families. Many residents’ associations organized fireworks to complete the finale.