Russian fans celebrate once-maligned team as heroes

What a transformation. Russia's World Cup soccer team, metamorphosed from national laughingstock to heroes of the motherland in less than a week.

Russian fans celebrate Russia's 3-1 victory over Egypt in the group A match at the 2018 soccer World Cup near the St. Petersburg stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, June 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

And no one is more stunned than their own fans.

Chants of "Ro-see-ya! Ro-see-ya!" reverberated through the St. Petersburg Stadium and along the nearby wind-whipped shores of the Baltic on Tuesday after Russia beat Egypt 3-1.

"Incredible!" said science student Daniil Stefaychuk. He went into Tuesday's match dreaming of a tie, and left with his voice sore from screaming with excitement.

Thousands celebrated through the night in central Moscow, dancing, chanting and blowing car horns while lines of police kept watch. Roads were blocked by cars full of flag-waving Russia fans. Mexican, Polish and Brazilian fans also joined in the festivities.

Fan waves a flag prior the group A match between Russia and Egypt at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the St. Petersburg stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, June 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Even in a World Cup full of surprises, Russia's team stands out. The lowest ranked team heading into the World Cup , Russia is now all but guaranteed to advance to the second round.

That's a first for post-Soviet Russia, and a big boost both to fans and to President Vladimir Putin, who wants the tournament to improve his country's image.

Russia's 5-0 win against Saudi Arabia in the World Cup opener last week might have been a fluke. But Tuesday's win against the stronger Egyptian team showed the Russian players "the experience, the skills, the energy" to go much farther, said St. Petersburg company manager Alexei Ivanov.

Fans cheer prior the group A match between Russia and Egypt at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the St. Petersburg stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, June 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

He claims fans deserve some of the credit: "When you're among your own, you're more confident."

Yet he was among those with little hope for the team going into the World Cup. "It seemed like they absolutely didn't know how to play," he said. His laugh echoed with relief.

With a satiric song and goofy video games, Russians openly joked about their team and its coach ahead of the tournament.

The teasing got so bad that a conservative lawmaker is drafting a bill to ban mockery of the team, arguing that they're "fighting for the honor of our country."

A Russian fan celebrates Russia's 3-1 victory over Egypt in the group A match at the 2018 soccer World Cup near the St. Petersburg stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, June 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Fans seem to think that's going too far. "Constructive criticism helps," said sports instructor Andrei Ushakov.

A week ago, there was an undercurrent of self-deprecation and defensiveness in the Russian fan mood. By Tuesday night, that had vanished, replaced by an assertive swagger.

Crowds draped in white-blue-red Russian flags sang folk songs and whooped wildly in the marbled corridors of the St. Petersburg subway.

So what's next for the team? "Victory, only victory," Ushakov said.

Russian fans celebrate Russia's 3-1 victory over Egypt in the group A match at the 2018 soccer World Cup near the St. Petersburg stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, June 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Karen Arutunian, who is about to turn 8 years old, isn't so optimistic.

Arutunian successfully predicted Tuesday's result, unlike anyone else in his family. He thinks Russia's next match, against Uruguay next week, will end in a tie.

"We won't win. But it doesn't matter. We're making it out of the first round," he said.

"It's the best feeling."

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Nearly two weeks after celebrating New Year, many Serbians did it again on Tuesday evening, this time according to old Orthodox Christian tradition.

Some Eastern Orthodox churches follow the ancient Julian calendar, which runs 13 days later than the Gregorian calendar used by Catholic and Protestant churches and much of the secular world.

The streets in central Belgrade’s commercial pedestrian zone were busy with people on Tuesday night, and Christmas and New Year’s decorations were still on full display.

“I celebrate the Serbian (New Year),” said Zoran Todorovic, a Belgrade resident. "We’re going out. We’ll take a walk, drink mulled wine, eat traditional sweets, and then we’ll go home and treat ourselves to a meal. I feel lovely.”

Jovan Brkic, also from Belgrade, was skeptical. “I don’t celebrate Serbian New Year. I don’t give it much attention."

“I think it’s the same as the non-Serbian one, the usual, commercial New Year,” he added. "It’s just an economic trick to get people to spend a bit more money, to give them a reason to be cheerful.”

A fireworks and a drone show was held at midnight at a newly built and much-criticized residential block by the Sava River in Belgrade that was backed by Serbia's populist President Aleksandar Vucic.

In the central Serbian town of Cacak, however, protesters snowballed a folk singer performing at the main square, angry that the local authorities were using public money for the celebrations, N1 regional television reported.

Vucic faced street protests throughout last year against his autocratic rule in Serbia that were triggered by a train station disaster in November 2024 that killed 16 people in a northern city.

Fireworks and laser lights illuminate the sky over the Belgrade Tower just before midnight, for the Orthodox Christians New Year that Serbs celebrate on Jan. 14, according to the Julian calendar, in Belgrade, Serbia, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Fireworks and laser lights illuminate the sky over the Belgrade Tower at midnight, for the Orthodox Christians New Year that Serbs celebrate on Jan. 14, according to the Julian calendar, in Belgrade, Serbia, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Fireworks and laser lights illuminate the sky over the Belgrade Tower just before midnight, for the Orthodox Christians New Year that Serbs celebrate on Jan. 14, according to the Julian calendar, in Belgrade, Serbia, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)