After lauding the most exciting FIFA World Cup final ever, football fans and pundits accused two powerful men of spoiling Lionel Messi’s iconic moment in the sun.
At 35, Argentina captain Messi finally realised his boyhood dream by emulating the late Diego Maradona and lifting the World Cup after a thrilling penalty shootout on Monday.
But before he got his hands on the famous trophy, Messi was asked to wear a traditional bisht, or cloak, by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
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It has not been common in previous World Cups for the winning captain to wear local clothing while lifting the trophy.
No doubt it was intended as a gesture of respect but some observers claimed it was an unnecessary stunt that detracted from what will be one of the famous images in world sport history.
”Something a little strange about Messi being dressed in Bisht, that black cloak that the emir of Qatar dressed him in before lifting the World Cup,” journalist Tariq Panja wrote.
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“Qatar wants this to be its moment as much as it is Messi’s and Argentina’s.”
English football great Gary Lineker was also unimpressed.
”Great pictures from above and great pictures from inside the ground as Argentina win the World Cup for the third time and first since 1986, they also of course won it in 1978 in their own country,” Gary Lineker said on BBC.
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“This is a magic moment, it’s just a shame in a way they’ve covered up Messi in his Argentina shirt.”
Messi ditched the bisht after the official celebration to enjoy the moment with his teammates in Argentina’s much loved blue and white strip.
“Qatar obviously wanted to be present in the World Cup trophy pictures, hence putting that black bisht on Messi,” The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell tweeted.
“But just made for a weird, unnecessary look amid a sea of blue and white sporting shirts. It should be a moment for the players, not the host. Grossly indulgent.”
Former Argentina star Pablo Zabaleta was similarly bemused.
“It’s just why? No reason to,” Zabaleta said.
But academic Dr. Abdallah Marouf gave a much different perspective on Twitter.
Awarding Qatar World Cup hosting rights was one of the most controversial decisions in football history and that ill will bubbled throughout the tournament.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino also came under plenty of online fire as he lingered on stage with Messi and soaked up plenty of camera time.
His enthusiasm didn’t end there as he tracked down Messi in the Argentina dressing room for yet another happy snap.
The bisht was long gone.
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In pictures: The FIFA World Cup 2022 final
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