sportbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Lionel Messi Offended A Whole Country With His Boots

Lionel Messi Offended A Whole Country With His Boots

Everyone chill!

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Come on admit it you'd love a pair of Lionel Messi's boots. Either you could stick them in a perspex box as the centre piece of your entire house or you'd try them on hoping, like a child in his new 'faster trainers,' that they'd somehow make you as good as him at football. Well apparently that's not the case in Egypt.

Messi was appearing on a TV programme in Egypt called "Yes I am Famous" presumably because yes, he is famous. During the show, as a nice gesture, the footballing superstar handed over a pair of his boots to be donated by charity.

However some in the Arabic country took offence with Egyptian FA spokesperson Azmy Megahed saying: "Our poor people don't need him. Shoes work for him. I'm confused, if he intends to humiliate us, then I say he better put those shoes on his head and on the heads of the people supporting him."

It's all because showing the soles of your feet in Arab culture is offensive and the feet, being close to the ground, are seen as the lowest part of the body spiritually and shoes are considered dirty.

Megahed wasn't the only person outraged with social media joining in one Twitter user wrote: "This is the most disgusting. He was paid thousands of dollars and at the end he donated his shoes and the stupid presenter was happy."

And another commented: "Egypt's name is greater than Messi's shoes. This is a big insult to Egypt."

Former Egypt international and previous manager of club side Zamalek, Mido, defended the footballer and added some rational thinking to the argument saying: "The most precious thing a writer owns is his pen... and the most precious thing a footballer owns is his shoes." Oddly profound for a footballer!

The presenter of the show also defended her guest and the gesture admitting that it's a regular occurrence on her show saying: "This is so false. It's a trend on our show that we take a souvenir from our guest and put it up for auction for charity. I am surprised." And what better souvenir from the greatest footballer on earth than his boots?

It just goes to show how precious and different culture is in different countries. No offence was meant though, let's us all move on.

(h/t The Sun, Dream Team FC)

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Football, Lionel Messi, egypt