Lionel Messi looked unimpressed when approached by Nusret Gokce, better known as Salt Bae, after Sunday's World Cup final.
The celebrity chef was allowed on to the pitch after Argentina's famous victory against France. Messi finally got his hands on the World Cup trophy at the fifth attempt after a pulsating encounter between the two football heavyweights at Lusail Stadium.
Messi scored twice and Kylian Mbappe bagged a hat-trick in the 3-3 draw, which was settled on penalties. Argentina didn't miss any of their four spot kicks and were handed the trophy after Aurelien Tchouameni and Kingsley Coman failed to beat Emiliano Martinez.
Argentina's players and coaching staff celebrated with their families after the win, but some of FIFA's "VVIPs" managed to join the party. One such guest was Salt Bae, a Turkish chef who became a viral sensation in 2017 for the way he sprinkled salt on a steak.
Salt Bae took the opportunity to pose for photos with several players, including Angel Di Maria, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Pablo Dybala and Messi. The chef, contentiously, was even allowed to hold the trophy and bite into one of the winners' medals.
All of these photos have been posted on Salt Bae's Instagram account for his 49.8million followers to enjoy. The chef has criticised by Argentina fans for joining in with the team's celebrations and using the opportunity to create content for his social media.
Do you think Salt Bae should've been allowed to hold the World Cup trophy? Let us know in the comments below!
FIFA has also been slammed for allowing Salt Bae and other VVIPs to enter the pitch at full-time. VVIP starts for Very Very Important Person.
Messi didn't look too happy when Salt Bae stopped him for a photo. The chef tapped the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner on the back as he was being congratulated by colleagues and loved ones. Messi politely stopped to shake his hand, but Salt Bae didn't stop there.
He continued to ask Messi for a photo and the image can be seen on the chef's Instagram feed. In the picture, the two are shaking hands while Salt Bae points towards someone taking the photo in the distance. Messi is barely smiling in the photo.
It's unclear whether Messi and Salt Bae knew each other before Sunday's final. The image of Salt Bae holding the trophy has caused a lot of upset on social media. FIFA claims the trophy "can only be touched and held by a very select group of people, which includes former winners of the FIFA World Cup and heads of state".
Salt Bae's actions have evoked memories of when Rihanna was pictured holding the World Cup trophy alongside members of the victorious Germany team in 2014. Ironically, Germany defeated newly-crowned champions Argentina 1-0 to win that tournament in Brazil.
