Lionel Messi was placed in a black robe to lift the World Cup trophy, which left fans confused, but its meaning has now been revealed.
Argentina and France went head to head in the final of the World Cup in Qatar, giving viewers a goal-fest in what was an exhilarating game of soccer.
Argentina came out of the encounter on top, with Lionel Messi, 35, getting to lift the iconic trophy in what is likely to be his final World Cup.
As the captain of the team, Messi got to be the first one to lift the trophy as flares and fireworks boomed out around the stadium - but it was a robe that has everyone talking.
Just before being handed the trophy, Messi was put in a black robe with golden trim, and the meaning behind it makes the moment incredibly powerful.
As per the Independent, the robe is called a bisht and it is used to honor people such as royalty, grooms on their wedding day, and graduates at their ceremony.
Dr. Baig, a lecturer of Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter told the outlet: "It’s like a mark of honor, and just kind of a cultural welcoming and a cultural acceptance.
"This is a top occasion. I mean, there’s probably no bigger occasion, so they put it on him as a mark of honor."
Arab News states that: "It [the bisht] is often regarded as [a] sign of prestige or high status and this is why the art of bisht tailoring is a skill handed down from generation to generation."
The move to drape Messi in the robes was met with a mixed response - with BBC presenters Gary Lineker and Pablo Zabaleta saying during the presentation that it was a shame to cover Messi's shirt, and there was no reason for it, as reported by The Mirror.
As for the match itself - Argentina's talisman Messi opened the scoring in the 10th minute after converting a penalty. Juventus winger Di Maria then finished off a devastating counterattack to put Argentina in the driving seat.
France sprang into life in the 80th minute, where 23-year-old Kylian Mbappe scored twice in two minutes to take the game to extra time.
Messi scrambled the ball into the French goal in the 109th minute, but Mbappe was on hand to silence the Argentinian party once again after scoring a penalty in the 118th minute, taking the game to a penalty shootout.
Argentina came out on top after goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez proved to be the hero after saving a penalty and seeing another one go wide.
To some fans, Messi has cemented himself as the best player of all time - and the bisht being placed on him could be seen as him being coronated as the King of soccer.
