“Now I know the rules” - Salt Bae makes promise ahead of 2026 World Cup after controversial Lionel Messi and Argentina incident in 2022

Popular chef Salt Bae has vowed to follow the rules in the upcoming World Cup after sparking controversy for taking photos with Lionel Messi and his teammates following Argentina's victory over France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final. La Albiceleste won the match on penalties after a 3-3 draw to cinch their first World Cup since 1986.

Salt Bae (born Nusret Gökçe) was seen on the pitch after the game, clicking photos with La Albiceleste players, including Lionel Messi. While the Inter Miami superstar ignored him twice, he eventually gave in and reluctantly posed with the social media personality.

Salt Bae also faced severe backlash for holding and kissing the Jules Rimet trophy, which is believed to be made of 18-carat gold and is worth £17.7 million. As per FIFA rules, the trophy can be touched only by a "select group of people," i.e., former winners of the cup and heads of state.

In a recent interview with Arabian Business, Salt Bae acknowledged his mistake and promised not to touch the trophy in the upcoming iteration of the tournament next year.

"I love Argentina, I love football. and this is an accident. My mistake. Before I don't know the rules, now I know the rules," he said (via SPORTbible). "Some people loved it and some didn't like but it doesn't matter. You must follow the rules. Next World Cup, I'll never touch the World Cup."

The culinary mogul, who currently has 53.2 million Instagram followers added:

"I'll go of course to the stadium to see the match but I will never touch again."

Next year's edition of the tournament will be the first to feature 48 teams and will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

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Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni comments on whether Lionel Messi will play in the 2026 World Cup

Lionel Messi and Lionel Scaloni - Source: Getty

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni recently broke his silence on whether Lionel Messi will play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Argentine icon has featured in every edition of the tournament since 2006 and will be 39 by the time it returns in 2026.

In an interview with Christian Martin on DSport Argentina, Lionel Scaloni spoke candidly about the prospects of his namesake joining La Albiceleste in 2026. He pointed out that Lionel Messi desired to play in the tournament and was aware of what the management wanted.

"Messi to play in the 2026 World Cup? He has a desire, just like his teammates and the first thing to say is that they are aware that there is still a reasonable amount of time left. We have to take it step by step… There is time, let time pass and see how each player is arriving. He (Messi) knows very well what we think, and he is the smartest of all," Scaloni said.

Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball after captaining Argentina to victory in the last iteration of the tournament. The Argentine superstar also bagged the Man of the Match award five times, more than any other player in the tournament.