Lionel Messi and Argentina completed their goal of winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Sunday and they celebrated while also trying their best to avoid the overtures of the man known as Salt Bae.
Messi was the first Argentine player to get his hands on the World Cup trophy and lift it in celebration. However, Turkish chef Nusr-et Gokce, better known as ‘Salt Bae’, crashed the festivities for some reason and was seen holding the trophy as well. The celebrity chef posted pictures on his Instagram account, in which he’s seen holding the trophy, posing with Argentinian players, and biting some of the champions’ medals. There are also videos of him posing with players and holding the trophy.
https://twitter.com/JCUStreaks10/status/1604831504483635201
Salt Bae was seen pestering Lionel Messi for a picture but the superstar ignored him and continued hugging his teammates instead.
Salt Bae harassing the GOAT for clout at the most important moment in his life. Look at Messi’a face 🥴 pic.twitter.com/PCmDN3MT62
— Heydon Prowse (@HeydonProwse) December 19, 2022
Aside from being a big hanger-on looking for clout, Salt Bae actually broke FIFA rules by handling the trophy. The 18-carat gold globe trophy, which is said to be worth around $20 million, is only allowed to be touched by a select few people. Per the FIFA website, “The original FIFA World Cup Trophy can only be touched and held by a very select group of people, which includes former winners of the FIFA World Cup and heads of state.”
While Salt Bae was shown wearing official FIFA accreditation while on the pitch, it doesn’t appear clear at the moment why or how he received that.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.