On Sunday 19 December 2022, Lionel Messi finally realised a lifelong dream of lifting the World Cup, one that his fellow Argentinians and fans around the world all shared.
However, for many, what will go down as one of the most historic moments in football seems to have had some of the shine taken off it because of how he lifted the trophy and because of one thing: a robe.
For anyone who somehow didn’t manage to catch the long-dreamt-of scenes, Messi was draped in a special robe by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, just before he lifted the trophy and it has left many football supporters divided.
While the ceremonial cloak made him look like what millions already consider him – royalty – some found it uncomfortable and unnecessary.
Messi’s black cloak is called a 'Beshth'. Arabian warriors wore it after a victory. It’s also worn by the royal family. King of Qatar honoured Messi as a sign of respect. Signifying Messi as a warrior who won for his country Argentina pic.twitter.com/TMStG6mo57
As explained above, the robe itself is a ‘Beshth’ or ‘Bisht’, which is said to not only have been a mark of respect made by the Middle East but a fairly typical ceremonial garment across the region.
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While millions were clearly left feeling uneasy over the Bisht’s meaning, rather than simply being associated with Qatari royalty, it actually had more to do with tradition and the country embracing him in this historic moment which played out on their home turf.
Alternatively, some have also interpreted the gesture as the nation’s way of dubbing Messi “the king of football“. The image has no doubt left a lasting impression.
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For those asking, the robe Messi was wearing on the podium is a bisht. It's ceremonial rather than royal. It's usually worn by dignitaries at weddings and other formal occasions. pic.twitter.com/Ms8rzwHGcX
I did think it was bizarre at first but the more I learned about it, the more it makes sense. This isn't sportswashing — it's simply appreciating a different culture.
Educate yourself and don't let yourself rush to judgment.
Nevertheless, for lots of those watching around the world, this moment preceding Messi’s almost mythologised trophy lift was less about the meaning behind the bisht but more about who handed it to him and what it represented in the grander scheme of football.
A deferential and ostensibly innocent token of admiration it may be, the Emir of Qatar and his regime are not. The legacy of this tournament is built on the countless lives affected, be it the migrant workers who were abused and died erecting the stadiums or marginalised groups like the LGBTQ+ community.
In the eyes of critics, this not only displayed how the controversial and much-maligned hosts foisted themselves into a deeply special and long-awaited moment, but it was emblematic of the undercurrent of sportwashing tightening its grip on the beautiful game.
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It's also not about what it is, it's about who has given it to him, and at that specific moment.
On the other hand, just as many commentators have dubbed the coverage by large sections of Western media as “ignorant”, “quick to judge”, “Islamaphobic” and “racist”, with the likes of Gary Lineker taking flak for describing the choice as “a shame”.
Former Manchester City man and ex-Argentina teammate Pablo Zabaleta asked from the studio, “Just why? There’s no reason to do that”, once again suggesting that the Sheikh and FIFA President Gianni Infantino made the moment more about the Qatar 2022 campaign than the man of the moment.
Either way, there seems to be a fundamental lack of understanding for both arguments and while most Brits watching back home will have likely had little to no knowledge of the reasoning beyond it being a cultural custom, others online have pointed out that football has seen similar scenes before.
What do you think? Was this simply a mark of respect misunderstood by the majority of the Western world, an unnecessary stunt that took away from the GOAT’s most iconic moment, or another instance of FIFA and Qatar putting their own interests before the sport?
One thing we can all agree on is Messi is very, very good at football, having now every accolade there is to win in football.
Featured Image — BBC Sport/Leo Messi (via Instagram)
Sport
A documentary about Manchester’s famous homeless charity run has just dropped on YouTube
Danny Jones
An award-winning, short, and completely free documentary about Manchester’s famous annual homeless charity run is now available to watch in its entirety on YouTube.
Following a number of short snippets and teasers shared on social media over the last few months, the mini-doc by local moviemaker Gigi Shum was finally released on the streaming platform this past June.
Documenting not only the backstory of the inspiring Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness – now a much-loved annual tradition that has since spread to multiple other locations – it also gives a peek behind the curtain at those who organise it and the thousands of inspirational participants.
You can watch one of the most recent trailers here.
Capturing the sixth edition of the consecutive relay run, which spans the length of an entire day (which was another record-breaking year before being smashed in November 2025), Shum didn’t shy away from getting some laps done herself, but she also managed to shoot a truly important public access film.
A trail runner herself with a number of other works to her name already, including a well-supported Kickstarter revolving around neurodiversity, Gigi prides herself on “exploring the neglected truth in the world” through touching tales like The 24 Hour Run.
The adopted Manc and MetFilm School graduate’s roots may hail from Hong Kong, but she’s well and truly immersed and embedded herself in the Greater Manchester community through spotlighting local initiatives like this.
More importantly, this is much more than a student project: the bitesize 21:22 picture has been nominated and won at numerous festivals across the globe, including shortlists like the Florence Film Awards, a finalist in both the Independent Shorts and LEEDSflix competitions, among several others.
Aside from the obvious humanitarian and charitable angle of The 24 Hour Run‘s narrative, the talking heads with members of the team and numerous inspiring runners taking on incredible challenges on behalf of the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme make you proud to be from this part of the world.
You can watch it in full down below.
About the same run-time as most sitcom episodes – we’d argue this is a well more worthwhile watch.
Deeply moving stuff, we’re sure you’ll agree.
Speaking after a limited number of exclusive screenings, Gigi told The Manc: “What began as a question about why people run through the night transformed into an exploratory journey of human resilience, community, and active compassion on the streets of Manchester.”
It’s also worth mentioning that the young director and producer is doing lots more to contribute to the region, helping out as part of the Manchester Refugee Support Network (MRSN), supporting asylum seekers who may otherwise end up sleeping rough themselves.
They’ve raised hundreds of thousands for the likes of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity since the event’s inception back in 2019. Mayor Andy Burnham himself may be looking toward no.10 Downing Street moving forward, but fundraising on behalf of this organisation will always be a part of his legacy.
Better still, this dedicated crew of volunteers have also generated vital funds for similar causes in the likes of Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Hereford, and soon to be even more.
Set to debut in Liverpool later this year, another city renowned for backing themselves and looking after their own, we can’t wait to see how much more impact they make on the North West.
Featured Images — The MCR 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness (supplied)
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Government grants pubs permission to stay open until 5am for England’s next World Cup match
Emily Sergeant
Pubs across the country are being granted permission to stay open until the early hours of the morning on Sunday.
As England’s World Cup journey continues, the Three Lions are set to face Mexico in a Round of 16 knock-out match at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday night, but due to time differences between the two countries, this means that kick-off will be at 1am GMT here – a time when pubs are closed, and let’s face it, a lot of us are already in bed ready for work the next day.
But, in what is set to be a big ‘boost’ for pubs and bars – and football fans – nationwide, the Government has given permission for alcohol licensing hours to be extended for Sunday night’s match.
The Home Secretary has the legislative power to extend licensing hours on occasions of ‘exceptional international, national or local significance’, so this change removes the need for individual premises to apply for extended hours.
This extension to 5am adds to the already-granted extensions for England’s knock-out games that kicked off up until 10pm.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed is set to write to Council leaders across the country to inform them of these changes.
“Football might be coming home but we’re making sure fans don’t have to,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in an emphatic statement.
Pubs are allowed to stay open until 5am on Sunday / Credit: Road to Victory | We Are Football (Supplied)
“Pubs staying open until the final whistle is good news for supporters and good news for the pubs and venues that bring our communities together. The whole country will be backing the team. Come on England.”
Michael Kill, who is the CEO of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), said the extension is ‘fantastic news’ that will be ‘hugely welcomed’ by operators.
He continued: ““This pragmatic approach allows venues to focus on what matters most – bringing communities together to support the national team.
Danny Jones -
19th December 2022 
