Baig said he saw it as “an embrace by Messi of the local culture”, adding that it was “a pretty cool thing” for Qatar to do and “smart thinking” on their behalf. What did the organisers say? Instead of preconceived notions & judgmental views, turning this beautiful and meaningful photo into something that is not, read about the Arab bisht; its importance, and why/when it’s worn.

Our goal is to inspire dreamers to live to their full potential: to be the best they can be, on and off the field. Bringing your "A" game shouldn't stop after you play the best game of your life. Bring that passion and hard work to every area of your life - always strive to be the best version of yourself, and good things will happen. CNN reached out to FIFA for comment regarding the decision to use the bisht in the presentation ceremony. There was more criticism from other media, with British newspaper The Telegraph originally writing the headline “The bizarre act that ruined the greatest moment in World Cup history” in reference to Messi wearing the bisht. The moment caused quite a stir in the BBC studio with the decision to put Messi in a Bisht leaving them all confused, with Pablo Zabaleta, who played 58 times for Argentina, parctilarly bemused. With Gary Lineker bringing up the topic, Zabaleta who simply replied, "Why, just why? No reason to do that." It is a dress for an official occasion and worn for celebrations. This was a celebration of Messi,” Al Thawadi told BBC Sport.Mustafa Baig, a lecturer in Islamic studies at the University of Exeter, told the dpa news agency that the bisht is a formal robe worn by royalty, dignitaries, grooms on their wedding day, and graduates at graduation ceremonies. Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary-general of Qatar’s World Cup organising committee, said: “It is a dress for an official occasion and worn for celebrations. This was a celebration of Messi. Messi converted the opening goal from 12 yards after Angel Di Maria was felled by Ousmane Dembele. Di Maria then doubled his nation's lead in the 36th minute converting Alexis Mac Allister's pass. LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - DECEMBER 18: Lionel Messi of Argentina lifts the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Winner's Trophy during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) Julian Finney/Getty Images READ MORE: Elon Musk, Macron, Khabib, Djokovic and the biggest names attending 2022 Qatar World Cup final

Sheikh Tamim placed a bisht on Messi during the trophy presentation. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe/Getty ImagesKeep reading list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Photos: Messi and Argentina lift World Cup after win over France list 2 of 4 France fans hail Mbappe’s dazzling World Cup final performance list 3 of 4 Messi says he will not retire from Argentinian national team list 4 of 4 Tears of relief and joy as Messi lifts World Cup for Argentina end of list What is a bisht?

Messi didn’t wear the item of clothing for long, taking it off shortly after the trophy presentation and celebrating with his teammates in Argentina’s distinctive jersey. Amid the criticism, Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), an organization charged with organizing the World Cup, tried to explain the reasons behind the bisht. It later changed the headline of the story to “Lionel Messi made to wear traditional Arab bisht for World Cup trophy lift.”

So only a select few people would actually wear the bisht,” he said. “They basically honoured him [Messi] by putting it over his shoulders. It’s like a mark of honour, and just kind of a cultural welcoming and a cultural acceptance.” Seems a shame in a way that they’ve covered up Messi in his Argentina shirt,” said former England international and presenter Gary Lineker on BBC’s live coverage of the final.

However, I didn’t see the same level of anger and outrage when racism, Islamophobia, and orientalism was constantly used against the World Cup in Qatar. It was, for some, the perfect ending to a tournament that has been viewed by many as the best World Cup ever.Welcome to The Messi Store, the exclusive source of the official premium lifestyle brand of soccer legend Leo Messi: The Messi Brand. Our chief brand goal is to extend the core of Leo’s values, vision, and sportsmanship from the pitch to the apparel. To others, it was one last attempt for Qatar to stamp its mark on the tournament – a criticism of the “sportswashing” (where critics accused Qatar of using the occasion to paper over its human rights record) that has underpinned much of the coverage of the tournament. In his new attire, which covered his national pale blue and white jersey, Messi danced towards his teammates before lifting the trophy above his head.