SALT Bae has been slammed for his “pathetic” pestering of Lionel Messi to get a selfie and touching the World Cup after Argentina’s win.<br /><br />The celebrity chef, whose real name is Nusret Gökçe, somehow got himself in among the winning team and managed to get a selfie with Lionel Messi as he celebrated his team's triumph.<br /><br />But in the run-up, he was seen badgering the superstar and repeatedly grabbing his arm until the player relented and posed for a picture.<br /><br />The chef was slammed on Twitter as “pathetic” for his attention-seeking antics, which were also described as the “clingiest thing ever”.<br /><br />“The man’s just won the World Cup literally minutes prior and this 'celebrity' is feeling he’s entitled to get his attention,” said one Twitter user.<br /><br />The fury continued after he posted pics on Instagram of him holding the 18-carat gold trophy, worth £17 million, a privilege reserved for the winning team and heads of state.<br /><br />"You shouldn't touch the Cup. You're not a champion,” was one comment.<br /><br />Another furious Instagram user said he was “unfollowing” the Turkish chef.<br /><br />“You shouldn’t have touched that trophy only the players and staff who worked their asses off to become champions have that right.<br /><br />"You only want attention.<br /><br />Continuing the theme one post read “this is the time for players who have worked hard and not for celebrities to hang around and take selfies for their promo”.<br /><br />Salt Bae isn’t the only celebrity to have fallen foul of FIFA etiquette.<br /><br />Rihanna was pictured holding the prize back in 2014 and later revealed she had kissed and posed for a selfie with the famous trophy.<br /><br />Salt Bae sparked fury before the World Cup after bragging about a £140,584 bill at his high-end restaurant.<br /><br />A single steak from the evening was over £1000, and the group spent almost £115,000 on wine alone.<br /><br />The backlash came amidst the worst cost-of-living crisis seen in decades, as inflation soars and millions struggle to pay for food and rent.<br /><br />Salt Bae shot to fame in 2017 when a video of him lovingly preparing a steak by theatrically sprinkling a handful of salt crystals, quickly went viral.<br /><br />Nusret quickly became a celebrity in his own right, cooking for celebrities like David Beckham, Leonardo DiCaprio, and DJ Khaled.<br /><br />He opened his first Nusr-Et steakhouse in Istanbul in 2010.<br /><br />The brand grew, and he opened restaurants across the Middle East, including in Ankara, Doha, and Dubai.<br /><br />In 2021, he opened the first London Branch of the chain in the posh area of Knightsbridge.
