"Didn't Kick Anyone...": Salt Bae On Controversial Celebration With Lionel Messi After FIFA World Cup 2022 Final

Nusret Gokce, the renowned chef better known as Salt Bae on the internet, courted controversy during the FIFA World Cup 2022 final in Qatar when he was pictured on the field following Argentina's win over France. Several fans accused him of trying to steal the spotlight on the historic occasion and the situation worsened when pictures surfaced of him holding the World Cup trophy on the field. In a recent interaction, Salt Bae opened up about the incident and provided his side of the story.

“It was a combination of my love of Argentina and my excitement. I love Argentina; I've lived there. I went to support them. Many of [the team] have come to the restaurant. I didn't feel a stranger. It was a special moment. I can't do anything about the reason I was there, but I would never, ever step on the World Cup pitch again. There were two billion people watching the World Cup… How many people are speaking about me? Five billion. The whole world,” he told the Times as per talkSPORT.

“I didn't go on the pitch with the purpose of advertising; I just felt like it. Then it was a bit of a surprise. There were at least another 1,000 people on the pitch but when they show the video they make out it was just me. I never, ever wanted to overshadow anything. I didn't like the attention. I didn't kick anyone, steal anything,” he added.

The controversy did not die down after the tournament as FIFA decided to come up with an official statement regarding the incident that took place after the summit clash. “Following a review, FIFA has been establishing how individuals gained undue access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail stadium on 18 December. The appropriate internal action will be taken.”