Lionel Messi Argentina Football Sensation Celebrity Cardboard Party Face Mask Fancy Dress

Product Information

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.

The bisht is a long cloak made out of light, often sheer, material with trimming made out of real gold that is worn over a white thobe. It was, for some, the perfect ending to a tournament that has been viewed by many as the best World Cup ever. 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. 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." 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.Others on social media were outraged by the criticism of the bisht, saying it was steeped in ignorance and misunderstanding of Qatar’s culture. 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.” 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.

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 ImagesSeems 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. 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. 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?