Nobody should be particularly surprised about any of this given Salt Bae (real name: Nusret Gรถkรงe) has amassed his fortune by clout-chasing and overcharging, but footage of the internet personality/celebrity chef harassing Lionel Messi for a selfie after Argentinaโs victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final (Qatar) has left the internet reeling in the worst possible way nonetheless.
The man behind the meme somehow made his way to the pitch of Lusail Stadium after France was defeated 4-2 in a dramatic penalty shootout. Then, in an act dubbed โpathetic,โ โattention-seeking,โ and โthe cringiest thing everโ by netizens, he grabbed the Argentinian team captain and footballโs current GOAT by the arm, despite the initial snub, persistently prying him away from those who actually contributed to the historic victory before the latter eventually acquiesced to simply get it over with.
RELATED: Lionel Messi Has Definitively Proven He Is This Generationโs GOAT
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To add Salt (Bae) to the weeping wound of indignity, the ever-tenacious Mr Gรถkรงe was later spotted hoisting the actual 2022 FIFA World Cup trophy by the goals as if he himself had won the damn thing.
โMade no sense why you were on the pitch,โ read one comment on Salt Baeโs series of Instagram posts.
โThis guy needs a reality check,โ read another.
โMega Clownโฆ we all saw the video begging Messi for a pic, you would do anything for a bit of clout.โ
โThe disrespect, this guy is just full of himself.โ
โYou shouldnโt touch the Cup. Youโre not a champion.โ
โBro invited himself.โ
โYou were supporting France.โ
RELATED: Salt Bae Restaurant Prices Have Shocked The Internet (Again)
Prior to this latest incident involving Lionel Messi, backlash had been steadily building against Salt Bae due to the rate of which his high-end steakhouse restaurant franchise, Nusr-Et, has been overcharging in every corner of the globe. Recently, he incurred the wrath of the online world by bragging about a single $253,000 bill wherein the patrons spent close to $208,000 on wine alone.
For context, here are two group order receipts that went viral this past year:
- 2 x Meat Sushi โ $60 ($30 each)
- 2 x Burrata โ $60 ($30 each)
- 4 x #SaltBae Passion โ $120 ($30 each)
- 2 x Voss Still โ $20 ($10 each)
- 6 x Johnnie Walker Blue โ $552 ($92 each)
- 1 x Sprite โ $10
- 2 x Spaghetti โ $160 ($80 each)
- 2 x French Fries โ $30 ($15 each)
- 2 x Mashed Potatoes โ $38 ($19 each)
- 2 x Spinach โ $38 ($19 each)
- 2 x Sweet Corns โ $38 ($19 each)
- 2 x 1 Lokum โ $160 ($80 each)
- 2 x Istanbul Sirloin โ $200 ($100 each)
- 1 x Tomahawk โ $275
- 1 x Golden Tomahawk โ $1,000
- 1 x Sirt for 3 โ $220
- 2 x Golden Baklava โ $130 ($65 each)
- 1 x Espresso โ $5.95
- 1 x Tropical Green โ $5.95
- 1 x Vin Dore 24K Gold de Brut โ $1,500
Subtotal: $4,942.90
Tax: $395.43
Service Charge (18%): $889.72
Total Due: $6,228.05
RELATED: Salt Baeโs Restaurant Chain Is Legitimately On Track For A $2 Billion Valuation
- 1 x Burrata โ ยฃ25
- 1 x Nusret Salad โ ยฃ23
- 2 x Nusret Sushi โ ยฃ46 (ยฃ23 each)
- 2 x Prawn Tempura Roll โ ยฃ60 (ยฃ30 each)
- 1 x Giant Tomahawk โ ยฃ630
- 1 x Kafes โ ยฃ200
- 1 x Onion Flower โ ยฃ18
- 1 x Herb Crusted Fries โ ยฃ10
- 1 x Sweet Corn โ ยฃ12
- 1 x Golden Burger โ ยฃ100
- 1 x Asado for two โ ยฃ120
- 1 x Nusret Baklava โ ยฃ44
- 4 x Double Patron Coffee โ ยฃ80 (ยฃ20 each)
- 4 x Double Grey Goose โ ยฃ72 (ยฃ18 each)
- 2 x Coca Cola โ ยฃ18 (ยฃ9 each)
- 2 x Coca Cola Light โ ยฃ18 (ยฃ9 each)
- 4 x Red Bull โ ยฃ44 (ยฃ11 each)
- 1 x Virgin Mojito โ ยฃ11
- 1 x Eira Still โ ยฃ9
- 1 x Elvira โ ยฃ18
- 1 x Nusret Godfather โ ยฃ18
- 6 x Turkish Tea โ ยฃ0
Subtotal: ยฃ1,576
Service Charge (15%): ยฃ236.40
Total Due: ยฃ1,812.40
Ooft.
Side note: Salt Bae has not only served Lionel Messi at one of the 22 Nusr-Et locations, but also the late Argentinian football legend and former national captain Diego Maradona in all his coked-out glory (see below). Perhaps thatโs where this unwelcome air of familiarity/entitlement comes from.