'Salt Bae' posts old clip with Lionel Messi after Argentina superstar was seen ignoring him at the FIFA World Cup final

Modified Dec 25, 2022 09:28 GMT

Salt Bae was caught in the eye of the storm for his antics after the final — 'Salt Bae' was caught in the eye of the storm for his antics after the final

Celebrity chef 'Salt Bae' has posted an old clip of himself with Lionel Messi after receiving backlash for his antics on the field after Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

As the Argentine players hugged and greeted their staff and family members on the field, the Turkish restauranteur was seen awkwardly taking selfies with the winners.

However, it was his moment with Lionel Messi that went viral as the PSG star appeared to ignore his request to take a picture twice before obliging as the chef kept tugging at him.

'Salt Bae', who is originally Nusret Gocke, was also seen breaching protocol by touching the World Cup trophy on the field.

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His actions drew plenty of criticism from the fans, who were perplexed as to how he was allowed on the field, while also mocking him for how Lionel Messi ignored him at first.

Amid the controversy, Salt Bae has now posted an old clip of himself with Lionel Messi at what appears to be one of his restaurants.

The video shows the Argentine extending his hand out for a handshake before the two shared a warm hug as fans swarmed around them. Paul Pogba, who was at the restaurant too, was later seen joining them for a photo.

'Salt Bae' captioned the video on Instagram with the words:

"the champion @leomessi #saltbae #saltlife #salt" [sic]

Fans, however, have got back at him once more, saying he's merely attempting to save himself after the embarrassment in Qatar.

Although the post has garnered 22.5 million views and over a million likes, the comment section is flooded with fans demanding a 'dislike button.'

One Instagram user claimed that Salt Bae wanted to "prove that he wasn't ghosted by Messi," while another user hilariously wrote: "He’s uploading videos because Messi didn’t remember him, he’s trying to remind him that I am 'salt bae' owner."

'Salt Bae' shot to stardom in 2017 after a clip of him went viral. Nusrat Gocke was seen seasoning some meat in an unusual manner by dropping salt from his fingertips onto his forearm, which then drizzled onto the dish.

Since then, his profile has expanded enormously, with many famous personalities visiting his restaurant chains around the world.