Lionel Messi lifted the glorious world cup trophy in Qatar as Argentina defeated France on penalties. The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani graced Messi in a black Arab cloak ‘bisht’ as he prepared to lift the trophy and celebrate a historic moment.
The gesture received praise on social media many as the cloak is a status garment worn by Arab men on special occasions and therefore it was seen as a sign of respect. But many saw it as a political move by the Qatari government.
Several critics complained about sports washing and described it as “an unnecessary move.” However, an F1 fan validated the gesture by giving an example of F1’s Miami Grand Prix.
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F1 drivers wore American football helmets at Miami GP
The 2022 F1 season hosted its very first Miami Grand Prix earlier this year as the sport is trying to expand its reach in the United States.
The extravagant weekend at Miami saw a huge turnout of fans and as Max Verstappen claimed the victory, he was escorted by the police to the podium.
Not only that, the top 3 finishers even wore American football helmets as they lifted the trophies and blasted champagnes in celebration.
An F1 fan on Twitter pointed at this event and drew parallels with the incident at the Qatar finals.
Max Verstappen wore an American Football helmet when he received his Miami Grand Prix winner’s trophy earlier this year. That doesn’t have anything to do with F1. The use of the Bishts actually make sense in this case. https://t.co/hZQsrQrtC9
— A (@adrifuti) December 19, 2022
Reactions on gracing Messi with bisht
The Internet exploded after Argentina shot the winning goal and became the 2022 world champion.
I’m probably in the minority here but I thought Lionel Messi wearing a bisht was a nice touch.
Bishts are given to Arab warriors after a victory in battle or to royalty…Messi just won the greatest battle of them all and confirmed himself as the king of football. pic.twitter.com/wP9FvZiUAw
— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) December 19, 2022
This continues to be the World Cup of surprises.
One day after the #WorldCup2022 has ended, Argentinians are flocking to Souq Wakif to purchase the Arabian Bisht that was placed by HH the Amir to Messi #Qatar2022
— Mohammed Al-Jufairi (@Halawala) December 19, 2022
Everyone is complaining about how Messi wore the Qatari Bisht. But he doesn’t seem bothered at all. LOOK AT THE CONFIDENCE.
The truth is Europeans just can’t fathom the fact that an Arab country just hosted probably the best World Cup from the games to the organization. pic.twitter.com/slavqofslZ— Moe Safa (@moesafa) December 19, 2022
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