Bisht and Bold Hopes: Majrshi Channels Messi After Saudi Win in Arab Cup Thriller

Event and Celebration

Ashraf Ali Majrshi, the Saudi Arabia left-back, mirrored Lionel Messi’s famous celebration by wearing a bisht after the Green defeated Palestine 2-1 in the Arab Cup 2025 quarterfinals.

Majrshi started for Saudi in a match held at Lusail as they advanced to the tournament’s semi-finals, a moment watched closely by fans across the region.

Following the win, Majrshi wore the traditional bisht on the Lusail pitch to celebrate Saudi Arabia’s qualification for the next round, signaling his readiness to repeat the gesture should they reach and win the final.

Legacy and Outlook

In remarks reported by Al-Sharq Al-Awsat after the game, Majrshi said that as long as the Saudi fans remain behind the team, God willing he would wear the bisht again on December 18.

Interestingly, December 18 also marks the date, three years ago, on which Messi wore a bisht after Argentina won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, cementing the celebration’s iconic status in the football pantheon.

The piece notes that the bisht has become a symbol beyond this match, with Majrshi having donned it again in moments of triumph, including after Al-Ahli’s recent Elite Asia Champions League success—the club’s first such title in its history, achieved in May.

Note: fashion and folklore collided in Lusail that day, turning a simple victory into a lasting image—proof that sometimes a cloak can steal the spotlight from a scoreboard, and a match can become a runway as much as a race for a trophy.

In the spirit of keeping things light, here are a couple of sniper-grade lines to close with a wink: If your team wins, you don’t celebrate—your wardrobe does. And remember, in football as in fashion, the cloak sometimes outshines the goal.