A LAWYER has offered Lionel Messi $1MILLION for the bisht he wore while lifting the World Cup.
Ahmed Al Barwani, a lawyer and member of parliament in Oman, made the huge offer in the hopes of keeping the historic clothing in the Middle East.
Taking to Twitter, he said: “From the Sultanate of Oman I congratulate you for winning the World Cup Qatar 2022…
“The Arabic bisht, a symbol of chivalry and wisdom. I’m offering you a million dollars (£829,000) in return for that bisht.”
A bisht, which is the robe Messi was presented with just before he lifted the Jules Rimet, is a traditional men’s cloak in the Arab world often donned by high-status individuals.
The wearing of a bisht is reserved for special occasions, and is viewed as a sign of appreciation and respect.
Al Barwani also revealed his intentions with the robe.
He told The National: “I was at the stadium watching that moment live when the Emir of Qatar gave Messi the bisht.
“This moment told the world that we are here, and this is our culture, please know it well.
“It will be displayed to commemorate that moment of pride, and to help us relive it, and to also remind us that we can (do anything).”
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Following the final it was revealed that the bisht Messi wore cost £1,650.
Furthermore, two of the special robes were made for Messi and rival captain Hugo Lloris in the event that France came out victorious instead of Argentina.
Qatar-based tailor Muhammad Abdullah Al-Salem was responsible for making the items of clothing.
On making them, he said: “At first, we were not aware when we were asked to design this bisht that it was for the World Cup champion.
“We were surprised that the bisht that Messi wore was from our store, and I felt proud when my knowledge is that our store was the first choice of officials to manufacture this bisht.”
