Salt Bae’s Controversial Appearance at Argentina’s World Cup Win
Introduction
In December 2020, Argentina beat France in the World Cup final to win their first World Cup since 1986. Among the players, coaching staff and family members of the squad was Salt Bae, whose real name is Nusret Gokce. His presence on the pitch was met with criticism, and now he insists he will never step foot on a World Cup pitch again.
Lionel Messi and Lisandro Martinez’s Reaction
Lionel Messi and Lisandro Martinez both appeared visibly annoyed by Salt Bae’s presence during their team’s celebrations as the Turkish restaurateur was seen grabbing the trophy and posing for photos with several players. Salt Bae was also slammed for touching the World Cup trophy and even putting a World Cup winners’ medal in his mouth.
Salt Bae’s Response
Salt Bae is adamant that he ‘didn’t like the attention’ and believes he was unfairly targeted for criticism. He stated that he ‘love[s] Argentina’ and went to support them, and that he ‘can’t do anything about the reason [he] was there’. He also said that he ‘never, ever wanted to overshadow anything’ and that he ‘didn’t kick anyone, steal anything’.
Conclusion
Salt Bae’s appearance at Argentina’s World Cup win sparked controversy, and now he insists he will never step foot on a World Cup pitch again. Despite his intentions to support Argentina, his presence was met with criticism from Lionel Messi and Lisandro Martinez. Salt Bae maintains that he did not mean to overshadow the team’s victory or draw attention to himself, and that he was unfairly targeted for criticism.