- Qatar’s emir places black bisht on Argentina’s captain
- Praise on social media in region but criticism in west
It was the big payback moment for Qatar’s $220bn investment: images of Lionel Messi being draped in a black bisht – a traditional men’s cloak in the Arab world – by the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, as Argentina’s captain prepared to lift the trophy.
The bisht covered part of Messi’s Argentina shirt, including the national badge, during the ceremony – ensuring that iconic images of the trophy lift will remain a reminder of whose World Cup this was. Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, watched on smiling as the garment was put in place.
