So despite the better story of football fate and stories that are meant to be (up there with Michael Jordan’s ‘Last Dance’), the story of Lionel Messi completing football and winning that long coveted World Cup to match his fellow Countryman Diego Maradona’ legacy and perhaps finally settling ‘that debate’ with Cristiano Ronaldo, the story I’m of course here to rant about is that of ‘The Bisht’.
Of course given my previous rants around this World Cup, many which have now been lost in the ‘sportswashing machine’, that the tournament itself was designed to do, it will come as no surprise that my own wokeness hasn’t been scrubbed yet.
I of course will be the first to admit that from a pure football perspective, this has been a great World Cup and had arguably one of the best finales in the tournaments history, certainly in my own memories of World Cups anyways. Even the 3rd and 4th playoff was memorable.
The final served up 2 world class performances, a perfect intersection from perhaps the Greatest of all Time in Lionel Messi to possibly an imminent rival to that crown in Kylian Mbappe, the latter whom at the slender age of 23 already has a World Cup winners medal in his locker and now a golden boot to add to that, albeit a consolation prize.
But back to my rant and that ‘Bisht’, which Messi was requested to don, although unsure if that was a prearranged request or some last minute one, which a compromised Messi was made to wear? Initial viewing seemed to suggest it was last minute but not one Messi seemed overly concerned about. There are plenty more photos before and after the trophy lift, which will remain iconic in the scrapbooks for years to come, which adds to the argument he wasn’t overly thrilled about the Bisht, as he soon ‘misplaced it’.
My rant though is more to do with what the ‘Bisht’, actually meant. Initially I’m mortified, or less dramatically p***** off, as at that very unique moment of the GOAT lifting the World Cup to finally have a seat at Maradona’ table, it should’ve been of Messi in his iconic no.10 Argentinian shirt, amongst his heroic teammates, almost disciples amongst God himself.
For me and I’m sure others, you think of certain trophy lifts. Personally I see Maradona in ‘86, Pele in ‘70 and Sir Bobby Moore in ‘66. At a club level I can see Steve Bruce and Bryan Robson lifting that long waited Premier League title in 1993, Eric Cantona lifting the FA Cup in 1996 to complete an incredible comeback season, Schmeichel and Sir Alex lifting the Champions League in 1999, albeit awkwardly and even Steven Gerrard lifting the 2005 one.
For the 2022 World Cup though, we have Lionel Messi wearing a piece of Qatari national attire, which I understand is reserved for Royalty or Heroic Warriors when returning from battle.
So my question is, was this Bisht offered, as the ultimate gesture of the respect that Lionel Messi, a heroic warrior deserves or was it the final cherry on the ‘sportswashing machine’ to allow Qatar to high-jack Messi’ finest moment and stamp ‘Qatar’ on this iconic image forever in our minds?
This is the unfortunate debate in my head and given how the world works in such areas or perhaps all areas of the world, I can’t see past the latter, in that this was no more than Qatar having the final word. I mean to have an iconic piece of local attire sported by perhaps the post iconic player lifting the most iconic trophy in football, if not sports, is just genius for your brand. It’s Messi, it’s the World Cup, it’s Qatar; Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Apple and Google would’ve given up family members to have their name or product slapped across this unique moment in time and history.
Who knows, maybe it is for the former reason and my cynical side is getting the better of me, but one things for sure, when you think of the ‘Messi World Cup’, you’ll always see that Bisht.
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