During Argentina’s World Cup celebrations, Lionel Messi was pictured wearing a black Qatari cloak over his Argentina colours.
The cloak, known as a ‘Beshth’, is usually worn by victorious Arabian warriors and the royal family of Qatar and Emir of Qatar reportedly gave Messi the cloak as a sign of huge respect. However, it has not been received well by many fans who believe there was no need for such a gesture to overshadow the celebration.
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Whether Qatar’s intentions behind the gesture were sincere or not, the saga has undeniably created controversy that has clouded what should be a joyful moment. Perhaps, it would have been better to, if Qatar were acting with honest intentions, to gift Messi the cloak after the celebrations had finished and in private, away from the public eye. As it stands though, many fans are not happy with Qatar, or with Lionel Messi.