World Cup 2022

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      Salt Bae savaged again as more pictures emerge of him grabbing and BITING World Cup winner medal after Argentina victory

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      SALT Bae has been savaged online again after more pictures emerged showing him BITING a World Cup winner’s medal. The fame-hungry restauranteur has been ridiculed after invading the pitch and stealing Argentina’s spotlight as they celebrated their victory.
      Salt Bae was pictured taking a chunk out of the medal tethered to Argentina’s Franco ArmaniCredit: Instagram
      Social media users compared the chef’s stunt to one of Homer Simpson’s blunders
      He was seen eyeing up Leandro Paredes’ medal moments after the player was awarded itCredit: Instagram
      Salt Bae has sparked fury after breaking Fifa etiquette by handling the World Cup trophyCredit: instagram
      Players were forced to humour the Turkish chef as he gatecrashed the special moment in true Salt Bae style.
      He was seen grabbing hold of Lionel Messi by the shoulder at least twice as the baffled megastar tried to shrug him off.
      The Instagram star – real name Nusret Gökçe – then snatched the 18-carat gold trophy from Cristian Romero’s baby.
      The irritated squad were then forced to endure watching the celebrity chef perform his trademark salt-sprinkling trick over the £17million cup.
      READ MORE ON SALT BAE
      It seems Salt Bae had worked up an appetite with his embarrassing antics – as he then took a chunk out of Franco Armani’s winner’s medal.
      Gökçe looked like he was craving one of his extortionate gold-encrusted steaks as he gnawed at the goalkeeper’s award.
      He posed with the medal between his teeth while it was still tethered around Armani’s neck in the awkward snap.
      Other images show him boldly grabbing Argentinian players’ medals just moments after they had been awarded them.
      Most read in World Cup 2022
      Armani, who didn’t play a single minute in the World Cup, thankfully appeared unphased by Salt Bae’s intrusive stunt.
      But the image reignited fury on social media regarding his bizarre presence on the pitch badgering the champions.
      One user even compared the thoughtless chef to Homer Simpson in a hilarious meme.
      They twinned Gökçe’s picture with one of the infamous cartoon character being handed the key to Springfield – with teeth marks on it.
      The loveable fool then tells Mayor Quimby: “I thought there was chocolate inside!”
      People proceeded to flood the comment section with some choice words for Salt Bae.
      One wrote: “What an idiot. Trying to make it all about him.”
      Another joked: “He probably thought it was one of his overpriced burgers.”
      And a third fumed: “That’s what you get when the internet makes some random talentless person famous.”
      Influencer Dan Bilzerian even spoke out amid the controversy, claiming Gökçe has been harassing him for years.
      The “King of Instagram” said he knew the chef was “weird” after he bombarded him with wacky pictures of himself.
      But others suggested he was simply teasing the players, as in Turkish culture brides often bite gold coins gifted for their wedding to check they are real.
      Salt Bae was slammed after posting a series of boastful pictures on Instagram of him holding the World Cup trophy – a privilege reserved for the winning team and heads of state.
      The disgraceful spectacle reportedly broke Fifa’s rules and saw BBC host Gary Lineker brand him a “pest.”
      Fifa has now launched an internal investigation into how Salt Bae invaded the pitch at the World Cup Final.
      Gökçe is said to be pals with controversial Fifa chief Infantino, who praised him as “number one” after visiting his Qatar steak house during the tournament.
      He was filmed saying: “Football unites the world and Nusrat unites the world as well.”
      If he was given “access all areas” accreditation, that would open the governing body to allegations of cronyism or special treatment for Infantino’s friends, reports The Times.
      The controversy prompted footage of Diego Maradona mocking the Nusr-Et tycoon’s gimmick right in front of him to resurface.
      The Argentinian legend poked fun at Sat Bae during a visit to one of his restaurants in 2018.
      But the chef bit back with another publicity stunt – by sharing a video showing a “permanently reserved” table as a shrine to the late and great footballer.
      Former Brazil striker Ronaldo and left back Roberto Carlos – world cup winners in 2002 – enjoyed a slap-up meal at his Qatar branch on November 28.
      Current squad players Vinicius Jr, Gabriel Jesus, Éder Militão and Bremer also joined the party after they beat Switzerland.
      England’s Jack Grealish, Poland ace Robert Lewandowski and the Spanish team also visited during the tournament.
      Last month, Salt Bae sparked fury for boasting how a group racked up a bill for £140,584 at his diner in Abu Dhabi.
      A single steak from the evening was over £1,000, and the group spent almost £115,000 on wine alone.
      Read More on The Sun
      Salt Bae, a former butcher from Turkey, became famous for his crowd-pleasing gimmick of sprinkling salt down his elbow after slicing steak at the table.
      He now has 50million Instagram followers and an empire of 22 steakhouses around the world flogging gold wrapped beef at eye-watering prices.
      Lionel Messi finally gave in and posed for a selfie with the celebrity chefCredit: instagram
      He riled players by performing his signature salt-sprinkling trickCredit: Twitter – @@JCUStreaks10
      Salt Bae was seen cruelly snatching the trophy away from Cristian Romero’s babyCredit: Twitter – @@JCUStreaks10 More

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      Luis Suarez and his family arrive at Lionel Messi’s house to join Argentina captain in World Cup celebrations

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      LUIS SUAREZ headed to best pal Lionel Messi’s house for Christmas following Argentina’s World Cup victory.Messi was given a hero’s welcome by adoring fans as he returned to his boyhood city of Rosario.
      Luis Suarez landed in Argentina on ThursdayCredit: AFP
      The Uruguayan will reportedly spend Christmas with Lionel Messi’s familyCredit: AFP
      Suarez was pictured arriving in Rosario, Messi’s boyhood cityCredit: AFP
      Suarez was later filmed arriving at Messi’s houseCredit: Twitter
      Suarez and Messi became good friends when they were team-mates at BarcelonaCredit: Instagram / @leomessi

      He will reportedly spend Christmas holed up in his home after being greeted with wild scenes on his return.
      And Suarez will also spend Christmas with the Messi family, according to ESPN.
      The 35-year-old was pictured today landing in Argentina accompanied by one of his sons to celebrate the World Cup triumph with Messi.
      Footage posted to Twitter then showed Suarez arriving at Messi’s house.
      READ MORE ON LIONEL MESSI
      Suarez touched down in Rosario on a private plane just before 1pm local time having jetted in from the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo.
      His wife Sofia Balbi, and their two other children, were also there, according to Mundo Deportivo.
      The two families grew close when Messi and Suarez were team-mates at Barcelona.
      As well as enjoying great success on the pitch, they became best buds off it.
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      The pair holidayed together in Ibiza earlier this year alongside Cesc Fabregas and their families.
      Suarez, who suffered group stage heartbreak at the World Cup with Uruguay, congratulated Messi on his success after the penalty shootout victory over France.
      He wrote on Twitter: “Congratulations friend! YOU ARE WORLD CHAMPION. Let them say what they want, you are and will be the best.”
      The pair also FaceTimed each other after the final, with Messi showing off the World Cup trophy to a beaming Suarez.
      Suarez posted a picture of the pair chatting to each other to his Instagram story.
      Lionel Messi and wife Antonela Roccuzzo, Luis Suarez and wife Sofa Balbi, plus Cesc Fabregas and wife Daniela Semaan are all close friendsCredit: Instagram @antonelaroccuzzo
      The two families grew close when Messi and Suarez played together at BarcelonaCredit: Instagram / @leomessi
      Suarez and Messi holidayed together earlier this yearCredit: EPA More

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      FIFA ‘launches probe’ into how Salt Bae gatecrashed World Cup closing ceremony – with ‘action to be taken against staff’

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      FIFA is conducting an internal investigation to find out how Salt Bae gatecrashed the World Cup final.The famous chef, 39, was pictured with bemused Argentinian players on the pitch holding the trophy after their win on penalties against France in Qatar.
      FIFA is conducting an internal investigation into how Salt Bae gatecrashed the World Cup closing ceremony
      Salt Bae also badgered Lionel Messi after the game
      The Turkish cook and Instagram star – real name Nusret Gökçe – was seen wearing a Fifa VIP badge round his neck on Sunday night.
      Footage shows him pestering the Argentina squad as they celebrated their cup glory with their families after the nailbiting shootout.
      He was seen grabbing hold of Lionel Messi by the shoulder at least twice as the baffled megastar tried to shrug him off.
      Bae’s persistence paid off as he finally got a selfie with the striker hailed the greatest of all time.
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      The chef was also seen forcing himself into lineups of other stars as they clutched the famous golden trophy.
      He has now been barred from attending The US Open Cup, the equivalent of England’s FA Cup.
      Now FIFA is said to be conducting an internal investigation to see how the chef got onto the pitch as he has no commercial relationship with FIFA and was not invited onto the pitch by Gianni Infantino.
       Action will be taken against staff who allowed him access after social media footage showed his cringeworthy exchanges with players including Lionel Messi, who did his best to avoid Salt Bae.
      Most read in Sport
      In a series of videos posted on his own Instagram, the steakhouse magnate interrupted the likes of Angel di Maria, Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez as they posed with the World Cup, leaving the trio looking awkward.
      Gokce is known to be a close friend of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and actually breached the world governing body’s strict regulations regarding who is allowed to touch the World Cup trophy.
      “Its current design dates back to 1974,” FIFA’s website reads.
      “As one of the most recognised sports symbols in the world and a priceless icon, the original FIFA World Cup 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 sparked fury among football fans.
      It comes after he was banned from attending a US sporting event after his behavior at the final.
      The US Open Cup tweeted: “Salt Bae is hereby banned from the 2023 US Open Cup final.”
      The US Open Cup is a knockout competition featuring teams from the MLS as well as other domestic tournaments.
      Read More on The Sun
      It’s not known whether Salt Bae had the 2023 event on his radar.
      But now the decision has been taken out of his hands by the tournament chiefs. More

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      French minister calls on Fifa to INVESTIGATE Emiliano Martinez and Argentina fans after Kylian Mbappe abuse

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      FIFA should INVESTIGATE Emi Martinez and the Argentina fans that abused Kylian Mbappe, according to a French minister.After Martinez’s penalty shootout heroics handed Argentina the trophy at the expense of France, footage emerged of the Aston Villa keeper holding a minute’s silence for the “dead” Mbappe in the dressing room.
      Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick in France’s World Cup final loss to ArgentinaCredit: Reuters
      Emi Martinez mocked Mbappe by holding a baby doll with his face onCredit: @ESPNFC
      During the celebrations back in Argentina, Martinez, 30, then continued the Mbappe mockery by holding a baby doll with the Frenchman’s face on.
      The Paris Saint-Germain forward, 24, and his France team-mates also received racist insults on social media following the game.
      And Bruno Le Maire, the French minister of the Economy, Finance and Recovery, has slammed the behaviour of Martinez, as well as the abuse online and those who burned a coffin with a picture of Mbappe on during the Argentine celebrations.
      Speaking to Sud Radio, a furious Le Maire said: “What is Fifa doing? Sport is about fair play.
      READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP
      “It’s showing respect for others. It’s showing respect for those who lost.”
      Adil Rami, who was part of France’s 2018 World Cup-winning squad, is also furious at Martinez.
      He said on an Instagram story: “The biggest son of a b**** in football [Martinez]. The most hated man.”
      Other Mbappe-related abuse during the Argentine celebrations included Lionel Messi being thrown a toy turtle.
      Most read in Football
      This is in reference to Mbappe’s nickname in the PSG dressing room, Donatello, one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
      Mbappe ended up on the losing side of Sunday’s final despite scoring a superb hat-trick to drag France all the way to penalties.
      The 24-year-old won the Golden Boot with eight goals – one ahead of his PSG team-mate Messi who bagged two in the final.
      Bruno Le Maire has slammed the abuse Mbappe has receivedCredit: Rex More

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      Lionel Messi set to spend Christmas holed up in Rosario home and snub public appearances after Argentina’s World Cup win

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      WORLD CUP winner Lionel Messi is set to “avoid public appearances” over the Christmas period as he spends time with his family at his Rosario home.Messi, 35, led Argentina to a sensational World Cup final win against France on Sunday.
      Messi will spend Christmas in Rosario with his familyCredit: Splash
      He returned to Argentina earlier this weekCredit: Alamy
      He, along with his teammates, celebrated the historic victory with an open-top bus parade through Buenos Aires on Tuesday, with millions taking to the streets to join in with the festivities.
      However, the celebrations were abandoned prematurely after some fans attempted to jump onto the team bus from nearby bridges.
      When the chaos curtailed, Messi travelled back to his home in the city of Rosario, where he was once again mobbed by a large group of adoring fans.
      And according to Spanish outlet Clarin, he will remain with his family in Rosario over the festive period.
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      Rumours had suggested that another victory parade would take place in the city this week, however they have since been played down.
      Messi is not expected to return to Paris-Saint Germain training until the new year as he celebrates finally winning the only trophy to have eluded him during his incredible career.
      But, he has reportedly agreed to sign a new deal with the Ligue 1 club.
      Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner verbally agreed to extend his PSG contract this week.
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      Messi had been linked with a move to David Beckham’s Inter Miami as well as a sensational return to Barcelona.
      But according to Romano, Messi never entered talks with his former club and a proposed move collapsed before entering an advanced stage. More

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      Izabel Goulart looks stunning in tiny bikini on beach as she helps partner Kevin Trapp get over World Cup heartache

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      IZABEL GOULART, the partner of Germany keeper Kevin Trapp, showed off her figure by wearing a tiny bikini on the beach as they relaxed on holiday.The 38-year-old Brazilian, who used to model for Victoria’s Secret, was at all three of the Germans’ World Cup games in Qatar.
      Izabel Goulart showed off her figure by wearing a bikini on the beachCredit: The Mega Agency
      Izabel was spotted enjoying the sun in St BartsCredit: The Mega Agency
      Izabel and Kevin Trapp are having some down time following the World CupCredit: The Mega Agency
      Stunning Wag Izabel is a former Victoria Secret modelCredit: The Mega Agency
      Trapp was a part of the Germany squad knocked out in the group stageCredit: The Mega Agency
      Trapp, 32, did not feature in any of the matches as No1 Manuel Neuer kept his position throughout the group stage.
      And Hansi Flick’s men failed to progress to the last-16 as a win over Costa Rica failed to make up for the loss to Japan and draw with Spain.
      Now Izabel and Trapp, who began dating in 2015 and got engaged three years later, have jetted out to St Barts for a post-World Cup holiday.
      The Eintracht Frankfurt keeper is still one month out from his first club game back on January 21.
      READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP
      Izabel was seen in a bikini relaxing in the sun as Trapp took in the beach surroundings.
      Goulart attended Germany’s World Cup opener in Trapp’s full keeper’s kit with his No12 on.
      She then went to the following matches against Spain and Costa Rica.
      And Izabel even stuck around after Germany’s exit as she was spotted supporting her native Brazil during their last-16 win over South Korea.
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      Goulart is a popular figure on social media, attracting 4.5million followers on Instagram alone.
      She has previously boasted that her and Trapp make love up to five times a week.
      Lifting the lid on the couple’s bedroom antics, she said: “Kevin and I make love a lot – four or five times a week.
      “But if he has played in an important game and his team loses, I can make myself beautiful, have my nails done and wear my best lingerie – and there still won’t be any sex.
      “However, on the days when the team has won, we don’t get a wink of sleep.”
      Izabel dressed in partner Trapp’s keeper’s kit for Germany’s loss to JapanCredit: Getty
      She then stuck around in Qatar to support her home country BrazilCredit: Getty
      Goulart and Trapp have been together for seven yearsCredit: Getty More

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      Salt Bae shows off table permanently reserved for late Maradona at his Dubai restaurant in latest bizarre stunt

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      SALT Bae shows off a table “permanently reserved” as a shrine to the late Diego Maradona in his latest desperate publicity stunt.Cringey video resurfaced after the fame hungry chef was slammed for pestering Lionel Messi in embarrassing scenes following Argentina’s World Cup win.
      Salt Bae has created a mawkish shrine to Diego Maradona in his restaurantCredit: Instagram
      He says the table is permanently reservedCredit: Instagram
      A garish painting of them together sits on the tableCredit: Instagram
      Maradona mocked Salt Bae’s sprinkling gimmick when he dined there in 2018Credit: YouTube
      The Turkish cook and Instagram star – real name Nusret Gökçe – posted a short clip of an outside table at his Dubai steakhouse.
      Two seats are pulled up, but it is laid with only one plate and one set of cutlery – and a brass “reserved” sign.
      Also on the table are a bunch of flowers, a lit candle and a garish painting of Salt Bae with soccer legend Maradona, who died in 2020.
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      He captioned the video: “Forever reserve.”
      The painting appears to be based on a photo as the Argentina icon is wearing the same outfit as when he visited the restaurant in 2018.
      Salt Bae’s mawkish tribute came despite Maradona hilariously mocking the chef’s “sprinkle” gimmick to his face.
      Video from the time shows the star’s reaction after being invited to mimic Gökçe’s trademark salt gesture.
      Most read in Football
      Instead he takes a pinch of salt and disdainfully dabs in the air with his fingers right under the chef’s nose.
      Earlier this week Salt Bae shared an old video of him hugging Lionel Messi after being trolled over the footballer’s snub on the pitch.
      Messi and his wife visited the same Dubai steakhouse in 2018.
      France ace Paul Pogba was also there and the chef made sure he got in between the two footballers for a photo.
      Gökçe’s throwback video shows him shaking Messi’s hand and giving him a bear hug, then talking animatedly while wagging his finger at the Barcelona forward.
      His self-promoting video was captioned simply: “The champion”.
      Followers said it was “cringe” and accused him of a desperate attempt to prove he is pals with Messi after getting the cold shoulder days earlier.
      After the world cup final, Gökçe was filmed grabbing the Argentina captain by the shoulder at least twice.
      Messi tried to shrug him off before finally agreeing to pose for an awkward picture.
      The fame-hungry chef was shot down by his own fans for his desperate attempts to get close to the footballing star.
      One said: “This is embarrassing.”
      Another said: “He wanna prove that he wasn’t ghosted by Messi.”
      As well as badgering Messi, he was filmed muscling in on the Argentina squad’s celebrations and snatching the trophy from one winner’s baby.
      Gökçe also pretended to do his trademark salt-sprinkling trick over the £17million gold trophy as irritated players stood by.
      And boastful pics on his Insta page showed his kissing the trophy and holding it aloft like a champion.
      The disgraceful spectacle reportedly broke Fifa’s rules, which say only former winners and heads of state can handle it.
      BBC host Gary Lineker shared footage of his attention-seeking antics, saying: “He’s such a pest.”
      And former FA chairman Greg Dyke said: “I don’t think Fifa and Infantino have come out of this very well.”
      Fifa has reportedly refused to say if Salt Bae was granted access to the pitch.
      Read More on The Sun
      It did not respond to The Sun Online’s request for comment.
      The celeb chef has been slammed for pestering Messi after Argentina’s World Cup winCredit: instagram
      Salt Bae has been panned by his own fansCredit: instagram More

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      Poland boss Czeslaw Michniewicz becomes ninth World Cup chief to leave job after last-16 exit to France

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      POLAND manager Czeslaw Michniewicz will leave his post as national team coach at the end of the year, it has been confirmed.He becomes the ninth World Cup manager to leave his job.
      Czeslaw Michniewicz took charge of Poland at the start of the yearCredit: Reuters
      The 52-year-old only took over his country in January following the departure of Paulo Sousa.
      And he led Poland beyond the World Cup group stage for the first time since 1986.
      A goalless draw with Mexico was followed up by a 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, before a 2-0 loss to Argentina saw them finish runners-up in Group C.
      They then came up against defending champions France in the last-16 and were comfortably beaten 3-1 as their Qatar journey came to an end.
      READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP
      Now Polish FA president Cezary Kulesza has revealed Michniewicz’s contract will not be renewed when it expires at the end of 2022.
      In a statement, Kulesza said: “On behalf of the board of PZPN, we would like to thank Czeslaw Michniewicz for 11 months of work as a coach.
      “As we know, the coach took over the team at a very difficult time.
      “Despite these circumstances, he managed to win qualification for the World Cup, and also kept our place in the Nations League elite.
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      “He also led the national team to their first World Cup knockout stage in 36 years. For this, Czeslaw Michniewicz deserves thanks.”
      Michniewicz’s departure comes after the exit of several high-profile World Cup managers.
      Luis Enrique left Spain following their last-16 defeat to Morocco.
      Portugal boss Fernando Santos was then sacked after their quarter-final defeat.
      Brazil head coach Tite left following the pre-tournament favourites’ last-eight exit at the hands of Croatia, while Belgium’s group-stage departure ended Roberto Martinez’s national team reign.
      Holland boss Louis van Gaal, Mexico’s Gerardo Martino, Ghana’s Otto Addo and South Korea’s Paulo Bento are the others to have relinquished their positions since the end of their World Cup campaigns. More