Lionel Messi has finally earned himself and Argentina a World Cup title. While he was on stage receiving the trophy on behalf of his team as captain, Qatari Emir Tamim Bin Hammad al-Thani shrouded him in a bisht – a traditional and formal Qatari cape – for the whole world to see. For some reason, Western media went wild. Many commentators seemed to be of the opinion that the sheer black fabric of the bisht draped over Messi’s shoulders was stealing Argentina’s thunder by hiding the light blue and white stripes of the jersey underneath. “Seems a shame in a way that they’ve covered up Messi in his Argentina shirt,” commented retired English footballer and pundit Gary Lineker, in conversation with Pablo Zabaleta, a retired Argentine footballer – who incidentally wore a suit jacket over his Argentina jersey during the conversation in question, but I digress. Thank you @GaryLineker and everyone from @BBCSport for having me all the way to the final in this amazing tournament. It’s been absolutely pleasure working with all of you. pic.twitter.com/ZkQWo2KBpS — Pablo Zabaleta (@pablo_zabaleta) December 18, 2022 Meanwhile, others claimed that something more insidious…
Messi and the Bisht: a Double Standard Reserved Uniquely for the Arab World?
December 22, 2022
