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Salt Bae is getting absolutely slammed on social media after posting multiple shots of himself at the Qatar 2022 World Cup holding the finals trophy.
The World Cup is famously only allowed to be touched by a select few, and it's safe to say that the Turkish chef, whose real name is Nusret Gökçe, is not one of them.
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The accolade is one of the most recognised trophies in the world, and one of the most sought-after.
The 18-carat gold trophy is estimated to be worth around USD$20 million (AUD$29.7 million, £17.7million) and FIFA's website states only winners of the World Cup and heads of state are meant to touch it.
Despite this well known rule, Salt Bae shared photo after photo of himself with his mitts on the iconic golden figure.
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The move outraged fans on social media, with many racing to the comments section of his own Instagram posts to leave salty observations.
One Instagrammer said: "You shouldn't touch the Cup. You 're not a champion."
Another questioned why the Turkish restauranteur was allowed to grasp the incredible accolade: "I thought only world champions could touch the Cup?"
A third roasted the butcher for his actions: "Why you are holding it and why are you are on the field? You shouldn't be there. This is the time for players who have worked hard and not for celebrities to hang around and take selfies for their own promo."
Another lashed out: "They worked hard for that trophy. You shouldn’t even be touching it!"
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Salty indeed.
Salt Bae isn't the only celebrity who has flouted tradition with the item that is arguably the most prized item on the planet for footballers.
In 2014, pop singer Rihanna broke the rules when she got her hands on the trophy during Germany’s post-match victory party.
The 'We Found Love' singer was photographed with the solid-gold prize seized in her hands.
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She also posted a selfie and revealed she had kissed the trophy, according to the Daily Mail.
After her night of celebrations, the singer tweeted: "I touched the cup, held the cup, kissed the cup, took a selfie wit the cup!!! I meeeaan...... what is YO bucket list looking like bruh?"
The 2014 party saw wives, partners, girlfriends and even children of the German side allowed to touch the 18-carat Cup.
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So, perhaps FIFA has relaxed the rules a little bit.
Just as long as we don't see a certain Turkish butcher salting the trophy up for a spin on the BBQ, then we're good.
Featured Image Credit: nusr_et/Instagram.Topics: Football, World News, Social Media, World Cup, Sport
