Kerala, Manipur and Meghalaya have declared a holiday for schools, colleges and other educational institutions on Monday to allow students to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 final between defending champions Argentina and Spain.The final kicks off at 12.30 am IST on Monday and is expected to continue into the early hours of the morning.In Kerala, the state government announced a holiday for all schools, colleges and professional educational institutions after students requested that they be allowed to watch the final without worrying about attending classes the next day.General Education Minister N Samsudheen announced the holiday for schools through social media, saying it was being declared in view of requests from football-loving students.Higher Education Minister Roji M John said the holiday for colleges and professional institutions had been declared on the direction of the Chief Minister to enable students to enjoy the match and avoid travel difficulties after the late-night final.Chief Minister V D Satheesan said students had expressed concerns about attending classes after staying up to watch the match, which could stretch beyond 2.30 am if it went into extra time or penalties. He described Kerala’s passion for football as unmatched and urged fans to enjoy the final.Earlier, CPI(M) leader and former Education Minister V Sivankutty, along with several UDF leaders, had urged the government to declare a holiday for educational institutions.In Manipur, the Education Department announced that all schools affiliated with various education boards, along with government, aided and unaided colleges, higher education institutions and universities, would remain closed on Monday to enable students across the state to watch the World Cup final.Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma also declared a holiday for all educational institutions, including schools and colleges, citing the state’s deep passion for football. He said the decision would allow youngsters to fully enjoy the much-awaited final.The announcement comes amid widespread enthusiasm for the tournament in Meghalaya, where thousands of fans have gathered at government-organised fan parks in Shillong, Jowai and Tura to watch World Cup matches.Argentina, the defending champions, will face Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final.