FIFA left salty over Salt Bae biting medals, touching World Cup trophy, pestering Messi

Even though Shah Rukh Khan flew to Qatar to promote Pathaan, a man sporting a similar beard and shades could be spotted at the World Cup final, unleashing his hands on the World Cup trophy. This man is, of course, Salt Bae (Nusr-et Gocke), the celebrity chef who sparked a meme trend and is known for his overexpensive (and some say “overbland”) steaks. 

More known for his showy lifestyle than his cooking, Salt Bae is back in controversy as he is drawing flak for violating FIFA rules. 

What happened at the final? Once Argentina won and the team rushed to grab the trophy, the Turkish chef also appeared on the field, grabbing the trophy and posing for his Instagram. He tried to grab a feel even when the trophy was being passed around the other Argentine players. 

When the trophy was out of his reach, he even resorted to bite the medals of some of the footballers! Salt Bae rarely misses an Instagrammable opportunity. So, it is unsurprising to find him even pestering Messi for a photograph, but the footballer casually ignored him, proceeding to hug his teammates. 

Who can touch the trophy? The heavily-guarded 18-carat gold trophy is famous for being touched only by a select few. FIFA’s official website says,

Lionel Messi was the first one to grab his hands at the trophy, followed by his fellow blue-and-white team members. The Argentine’s wife Antonela Roccuzzo also touched it briefly, a move that still seems excusable given how this nail-biting final cemented Messi’s legacy. 

How are people reacting? Salt Bae’s followers are disappointed, calling his actions unprofessional and unnecessary. Some Twitter users are criticising him for making the final about himself, ignoring the players or just using them for a photo-op. 

In the past: A similar high-profile violator has been Rihanna who touched the trophy during the 2014 Brazil World Cup, claiming that she has ticked off one item from her bucket list. 

Has the trophy been stolen before? The World Cup trophy, now worth $20 million, has also been notoriously stolen two times in the past. An earlier version known as the Jules Rimet Cup was stolen in England and found by a dog called Pickles in 1966. The canine was on a usual walk until he sniffed out the trophy wrapped in newspaper!

Starting with 1974, a new World Cup trophy was commissioned and this too was stolen by Brazilian robbers in 1983. This trophy has never been recovered and has been replaced by its current form.

So, will Argentina take home the trophy? Earlier FIFA rules stated that if a team wins the tournament three times, they get to be the trophy’s permanent owners. While Argentina does qualify as a three-time winner after Qatar, the rules have now been changed and Messi and co would have to do with gold-plated replicas instead!

As of now FIFA is yet to issue any statement or order any investigation into Salt Bae's behaviour at the Lusail Stadium.

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