<p>This paper examines the sentiment analysis (SA) of sport-related news articles from both conceptual and methodological perspectives. It investigates how news content is interpreted and understood through the application of multiple SA tools. The study adopts a dual analytical approach that integrates AI-based models with lexicon-based methods, complemented by a discourse analysis to enrich the findings. The scope centers on the symbolic, sporting, and cultural moment when the renowned player Lionel Messi donned an Arab bisht during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The analysis focuses on 42 international newspaper articles covering this specific event, drawing from Arab, Western, Argentine, and other international sources. The findings highlight the limitations of relying solely on SA tools for analyzing culturally embedded content within globalized contexts. Emotional responses are revealed to be highly charged and shaped by complex factors such as national pride and identity. The study further illustrates that attitudes, closely linked to sentiment, are often fluid and context-dependent. It concludes that while SA can be a valuable initial step in the analysis of news discourse, it should be complemented by qualitative methods to yield more nuanced interpretations. Overall, this paper offers a refined methodological contribution to the study of news articles through the lens of SA.</p>