Messi offered ‘$1 million’ for the bisht he wore after World Cup win
Amember of Oman’s parliament has offered Lionel Messi ‘$1 million’, or £828,000, for the bisht he wore during Argentina’s World Cup celebrations.
The bisht, an Arabic robe traditionally worn for special or ceremonial occasions such as Weddings or religious festivals, was placed on Messi by the Emir of Qatar following their victory over France in the final.
He then proceeded to lift the trophy while wearing the bisht, leading some fans to criticise the organisers for a perceived attempt to hijack Argentina’s moment.
WHAT IS A BISHT?
The robe worn by Lionel Messi as he lifted the World Cup trophy was a bisht.
It is a robe generally worn at special occasions such as weddings.
They also denote power and are often worn by officals or clergy.
Bishts are also worn for ceremonial occasions such as the Muslim festival of Eid.
Its role in formal occasions has been compared that of a tuxedo in western culture.
One observer who did approve of the gesture was Ahmed Al Barwani of the Oman parliament, who tweeted: ‘From the Sultanate of Oman I congratulate you for winning the World Cup Qatar 2022.
‘The Arabic bisht, a symbol of chivalry and wisdom. I’m offering you $1 million in return for that bisht.’
He later told the National that the sum, which currently equates to just under a week’s salary for Messi, was open to negotiation and added that if he did acquire the bisht, it would be ‘displayed to commemorate that moment of pride, and to help us relive it.’
‘I was at the stadium watching that moment live when the Emir of Qatar gave Messi the bisht. This moment told the world that we are here, and this is our culture.’
The trophy lift featuring Messi’s bisht followed a thrilling final that saw Argentina edge past France on penalties after an end-to-end 120 minutes.
Didier Deschamps’ side appeared to be out of contention at half time as they trailed 2-0 thanks to goals from Messi and Angel Di Maria, but fought back late on thanks to two goals in as any minutes from Kylian Mbappe.
Argentina were on top again when Messi scored again in injury time, but Mbappe’s late penalty kept the game alive.
It also made the French star the first man to score a hattrick in a World Cup final sine Geoff Hurst in 1966, but he still ended up on the losing side thanks to an excellent display from Emiliano Martinez in the Argentine goal during the penalty shootout.
For many fans, Messi’s World Cup triumph has put an end to the debate over who the greatest footballer of all time is, as he has now lifted the one trophy that always eluded him.
