Salt Bae Barred From U.S. Open Cup After Holding & Kissing World Cup Trophy [Video]

The viral celebrity chef known across social media as “Salt Bae” has been prohibited from the U.S. Open Cup after some questionable behavior at the World Cup.

In a video that has swept the internet, Salt Bae, whose real name is Nusret Gökçe, can be seen getting a bit touchy with the sacred gold World Cup trophy. The restaurateur attended the events as a VIP guest of FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, he offended many by grabbing the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 winner’s trophy and kissing it. In another clip, he is seen pulling the arm of captain Lionel Messi following Argentina’s win. Messi appeared slightly irritated by this gesture but eventually took the photo.

After the misconduct, FIFA launched an investigation to address how the chef was able to get so close to the trophy, which was described as “a priceless icon.”

“The appropriate internal action will be taken,” the organization said in a statement.

As the soccer agency continues its probe into how he made it on the field to begin with, the U.S. Open Cup has already made the decision to keep Salt Bae away from the Finals. The news was confirmed in a tweet on Tuesday.

Salt Bae is hereby banned from the 2023 @opencup Final

— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) December 20, 2022

FIFA has not yet taken action against Salt Bae but has claimed that his presence on the pitch violated the World Cup’s regulations. Only champions and organization leaders are permitted to touch the trophy, which is crafted of 18-carat gold that costs about $21.3 million.