Before he accepted the World Cup trophy, the amir gave Argentina’s national hero a “bisht,” which Messi prominently wore in his trophy lifting photographs.

Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani paid tribute to the finalists and fans of the FIFA World Cup, in a series of tweets published after the final showdown at Lusail Stadium on Sunday evening.

The Qatari leader emphasised that the Gulf state, the first Arab nation to host the major sporting event, kept its promise to hold an exceptional tournament from the heart of the Arab world.

The amir congratulated Argentina for winning the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 trophy and France for coming in second in a tweet on his official Twitter account.

“I congratulate the Argentine national team for winning the Qatar World Cup 2022, and the French national team for coming second, and I thank all the teams for their wonderful play, and the fans who enthusiastically encouraged them,” he tweeted.

“In conclusion, we have fulfilled our promise to organise an exceptional championship from the Arab world, which provided an opportunity for the peoples of the world to learn about the richness of our culture and the origin of our values,” he added.

Following that, he also expressed gratitude to those who contributed to the success of the World Cup in any way.

“With the end of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, I extend my thanks to all those who contributed from the fans, volunteers, individuals, institutions and ministries to the success of the tournament and showing it, Qatar ,and the Arab world in an honourable way to millions of viewers around the world,” he added.

“I also thank the International Federation of Football Associations for the constructive cooperation in organising this tournament, and I hope that the success we have achieved in hosting the tournament will be a motive for providing more service in uplifting our dear country,” he concluded.

Qatar has faced relentless criticism from Western nations and media in the lead up to the tournament, though the attacks have continued even until today.

In the latest incident, Western journalists and pundits have come under fire for racism over the amir’s draping of a traditional bisht, or cloak, on Messi following Argentina’s historic win against France.

In what was arguably the best World Cup final of all time, Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick ensured the game ended level after extra time, though Lionel Messi concluded his illustrious career with victory in the World Cup after his team won 4-2 on penalties.