Following Argentina’s victory in the FIFA World Cup final in Qatar, team leader Lionel Messi was dressed in a bisht, a traditional ceremonial robe that was made for about £1,650, according to the Bisht’s creator.
After a thrilling 3-3 draw in Qatar, Argentina triumphed in an all-time classic on Sunday by defeating France on penalties.
The outcome of the match was subsequently decided in the dreaded shootout, where Argentina triumphed when Emiliano Martinez saved Kingsley Coman’s penalty kick and Aurelien Tchouameni missed the target. All four of Argentina’s penalties resulted in goals.
The task of hoisting the trophy for his nation in his fifth and last World Cup fell to captain Messi.
But just before he did, the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, draped a traditional Arab men’s cloak called a bisht over his shoulders.
Messi continued to celebrate with the renowned gold trophy after joining the rest of his teammates.
As the 37-year-old football legend was making his way to claim the World Cup trophy on Sunday, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, draped the bisht over him.
Muhammad Abdullah Al-Salem, a tailor based in Qatar, created the robe, which is priced at QAR 8,000. The bisht is hand-embroidered and goes through seven steps before it is finished. It is made from Japanese najafi cloth.
Al Salem said in an interview with Esquire Middle East Arabic. “At first, we did not know when we were asked to design this bisht that it was for the World Cup champion, and we were surprised at the opening ceremony that the bisht that Messi wore was from our store. I felt proud when I learned that our store was the first choice of officials to manufacture this bisht to be worn by the World Cup star.”
For both Lionel Messi and French World Cup Captain Hugo Lloris, the shop had first created two bishts in two distinct sizes (short and long) (1.88 m). The bisht additionally has to fulfill several other standards.
Men wear the bisht, which is not simply a Qatari tradition but a common Arab garment that is worn throughout the world.
It is made of a light material and has a dark color. Real gold is used for the trimming on the outside margins. It has been a practice for many centuries.
The adorning of Messi, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and the tournament’s Best Player, with the bisht, will go down in history as an iconic moment when Arab tradition was perfectly fused with the beautiful game of football, producing a result that was a spectacle to behold.
Qatar successfully hosted the first FIFA World Cup to be staged in the Middle East and the Arab world.
Before receiving the trophy that had eluded him his entire career, Messi was named the tournament’s Player of the Year.
