Lionel Messi was presented with a bisht – a traditional Arab cloak – that covered the majority of his Argentina shirt as he lifted the World Cup trophy following his country’s dramatic victory over France in the final.
Messi – who scored Argentina’s first and third goals as they drew 3-3 with France after extra time before defeating them on penalties – had the cloak draped over his jersey by Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar.
The forward – who plays for Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain and is an ambassador for Saudi Arabia – was then led towards his team-mates by the pair before lifting the trophy while wearing the bisht, which is a status garment worn on special occasions by Arab men and is often associated with royalty.
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