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Lionel Messi has been offered $1 million (£828,000) by a member of Oman’s parliament for the bisht he wore when lifting the World Cup trophy.

The legendary Argentina international helped his country to World Cup glory at Qatar 2022, and got his hands on the most prestigious of prizes following a thrilling final victory over France that required a penalty shootout in order to determine a winner. Ahmed Al Barwani, a lawyer and member of parliament in Oman, has presented seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi with an offer that he hopes will see the famous garment remain in the Middle East.

Al Barwani has said in a Twitter post: “From the Sultanate of Oman I congratulate you for winning the World Cup Qatar 2022 … the Arabic bisht, a symbol of chivalry and wisdom. I'm offering you $1 million in return for that bisht.”

Al Barwani added to The National on the bisht, which was presented to Messi by Sheikh Tamim, the Emir of Qatar, prior to Argentina toasting their first World Cup win since 1986: “I was at the stadium watching that moment live when the Emir of Qatar gave Messi the bisht. This moment told the world that were are here, and this is our culture, please know it well. This tournament was a source of pride and has highlighted important facts about how we didn’t forget about Palestine and that Arabs are one and united.”