Salt Bae watches Champions League final despite World Cup antics

• The famous restauranteur posted pictures from Wembley on his Instagram page 
• Salt Bae had touched the World Cup trophy in 2022, breaching FIFA restrictions 
• CHRIS SUTTON weighs in on who won the battle between Ian Ladyman and Erik ten Hag – Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off! podcast 

Notorious restauranteur Salt Bae seemingly attended the Champions League final as a VVIP at Wembley yesterday despite causing havoc at the 2022 World Cup final.

The Turkish chef posted a photo of himself outside of the VIP entrance on social media and went on to take pictures with some of the sport’s most influential figures – including UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and FA chair Debbie Hewitt.

Salt Bae broke FIFA rules after gaining access to the pitch following the final in Qatar and holding the World Cup trophy, having gatecrashed Argentina’s celebrations.

The trophy is only supposed to be touched or held by a select group including the winners of the tournament and FIFA officials. The social media sensation, however, was seen kissing and pretending to sprinkle salt over it in bizarre scenes.

FIFA later revealed that he was not permitted to walk onto the pitch and after launching an investigation vowed to take ‘appropriate internal action’. 

Real name Nusret Gokce, Salt Bae owns more than 20 Nusr-Et restaurants and charges £2,000 for a tomahawk steak wrapped in gold. He first went viral online in 2017 after filming his flamboyant method of seasoning meat, often in front of diners.

Salt Bae spent time at his eatery in West London before heading to Wembley.

He then recorded part of the opening ceremony, various shots of the eye-catching Borussia Dortmund end and the countless rows of seats laid out below him. His position in the stand suggested he was able to secure a seat in an executive box.

After the match, Salt Bae posed with a smiling Hewitt, the head of the FA, and posted the photo on his Instagram stories alongside the caption: ‘Debbie Hewitt, President of the English Football Association. Great, amazing president.’

Salt Bae also took a snap with Ceferin and described him as ‘more than a president’.

On his way in and out of the ground, he signed autographs for waiting supporters. 

It is not known how Salt Bae secured his VVIP invite but the 40-year-old has struck up a close rapport with several of football’s biggest figures. FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited one of his restaurants in 2021 and mimicked his salt-seasoning pose.

‘Mr Nusrat, number one, the best of the best, unforgettable evening in Dubai,’ Infantino said on a video posted on social media. He also called him a ‘legend’.

But just a year on, Salt Bae risked souring the relationship after attempting to take selfies with Argentina players, including Lionel Messi, after the World Cup final. 

Messi appeared visibly frustrated as the celebrity chef looked to gain his attention.

Salt Bae even put another player’s medal in his mouth and, in cringeworthy fashion, looked to grab the trophy away from the Argentina team as they celebrated. 

He has since vowed never to step foot on a World Cup pitch again, however.

‘I love Argentina; I’ve lived there. I went to support them,’ he told The Times. ‘Many of [the team] have come to the restaurant. I didn’t feel a stranger. 

‘It was a special moment. I can’t do anything about the reason I was there, but I would never, ever step on the World Cup pitch again. 

‘There were two billion people watching the World Cup… how many people are speaking about me? Five billion. The whole world. 

‘I didn’t go on the pitch with the purpose of advertising; I just felt like it. 

‘Then it was a bit of a surprise. There were at least another 1,000 people on the pitch but when they show the video they make out it was just me.

‘I never, ever wanted to overshadow anything. I didn’t like the attention.’