Lionel Messi’s robe to lift the World Cup trophy explained by Qatar official.

By Xorkpe Sosu 3 Min Read

Following considerable criticism, the idea to clothe Lionel Messi in a bisht during Argentina’s World Cup winning celebrations has been clarified.

The picture of Lionel Messi wearing a black bisht and holding up the World Cup trophy will live on forever in the history of football.

One of the iconic pictures of the first World Cup to be held in a Muslim nation is Messi, 35, wearing the famous men’s cloak in the Arab world as he is met by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim during Argentina’s trophy lift.

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Lionel Messi's robe to lift the World Cup trophy explained by Qatar official.

In a thrilling match, the Alibiceleste defeated France 4-2 on penalties following a dramatic 3-3 deadlock that lasted 120 minutes.

Messi was at the top of his game, scoring twice either side of an Angel Di Maria strike.

The Argentine’s Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe was determined to steal the show by scoring a hat-trick, but destiny decided that it was Messi’s time, his most anticipated victory that shows his illustrious abilities have not yet diminished.

However, plenty of the discussion following the game focused on Messi’s outfit for what was unquestionably the pinnacle of a remarkable career.

While some have seen it as an appropriate homage to arguably the greatest player in history, others have seen it as an unwelcome attempt to comment on a situation that should have been Messi’s alone.

Lionel Messi's robe to lift the World Cup trophy explained by Qatar official.

The idea to clothe Messi in a bisht was later explained by Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general of the organizing committee for the tournament in Qatar, who believed it was a gesture of love.

“It is a dress for an official occasion and worn for celebrations,” he said.

“This was a celebration of Messi.”

“The World Cup had the opportunity to showcase to the world our Arab and Muslim culture. This was not about Qatar, it was a regional celebration.”

“People from different walks of life were able to come, experience what was happening here and get to understand that we may not see eye to eye on everything, but we can still celebrate together.”

Also read: Lionel Messi’s emotional letter to fans after World Cup victory over France

After the championship, Sheikh Tamim expressed a similar viewpoint on Twitter, claiming that Qatar had succeeded in fulfilling its goal of hosting a tournament that positively represents the country.

He wrote: “We have fulfilled our promise to organise an exceptional championship from the Arab countries.”

“It provided an opportunity for the peoples of the world to learn about the richness of our culture and the originality of our values.”

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