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7 Football Goal Celebrations We’re Loving Right Now

By Annika Caniza - March 02, 2023
In the world of football, often, players’ goal celebrations become even more viral than the goals that they are celebrating.

It’s ironic, but it’s simply because, for many elite footballers, their goal celebrations are personal, and thus, become a signature trait that fans look out for at every match.

Surely, you can think of a few that you’ve witnessed, whether in a live game or on social media.

Here are seven players whose celebrations we’re loving right now.

1. Marcus Rashford

We have to start with one of Europe’s most in-form strikers at the moment: Marcus Rashford.

Since November, he has scored 18 goals (to date), and his celebration — a simple point to his temple — has become one of the most popular goal celebrations around the world.

Rashford has not specifically confirmed the meaning behind it. But, many presume that it is a reference to the mental struggles he’s faced as an athlete in previous seasons that he now seems to have overcome.

2. Kylian Mbappé

Kylian Mbappé is a scoring machine, who has been chasing record after record, challenging the GOAT debate.

He has also challenged Ronaldo’s iconic “SIUUU” with his own widely famous goal celebration. It is Mbappé’s signature sliding with folded arms and the subtle salute move. We’ve seen it time and time again, but we can’t get enough.

3. Pedri

Barcelona’s young star Pedri, at only 20 years old, has been making a name for himself as one of Spain’s best midfielders, and as the kid with the interesting goal celebration.

It definitely caught people’s attention, and other football players (like Manchester United’s Garnacho) have been imitating him.

When asked, Pedri explained that the celebration is an homage to his father, who wears glasses and who instilled his love for the sport.

4. Haaland

Pedri isn’t the only footballer to have one of his goal celebrations imitated by other athletes. Erling Haaland, one of the most prolific goalscorers in the world, is just as influential.

Haaland has shown off the same celebration — sitting down with his legs crossed, as if in a meditative position — wearing different jerseys. And now, even athletes in different sports have been copying his zen mode.

5. Bukayo Saka

Bukayo Saka is one of Arsenal’s most talented and versatile players. To date, in 25 matches, he has scored 10 goals and offered nine assists for the team.

And to celebrate one of his recent goals against Everton, the 21-year-old was seen running and just casually holding on to the corner flag — an ode to something Arsenal legend Thierry Henry used to do back in the day.

6. Antony

We love a celebration with a secret meaning that only a few out of the millions of football fans in the world will understand.

When Antony scored the opening goal for Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Arsenal, he unleashed his claws to celebrate, and we all wondered why. And as Antony has explained it, it seems like only he and his friends will know what it truly represents.

7. Cristiano Ronaldo (and teammates)

Finally, have Cristiano Ronaldo. Throughout his prolific career, we’ve seen goal celebrations aplenty from the football legend, such as the iconic ‘SIUUU!’

But during his recent comeback with his former team Machester United, he popularized a new celebration — one that is a little bit calmer in nature. Whenever he would score, he would run up to the corner flag, put his hands to his chest, and close his eyes, as if asleep.

Though we haven’t seen this celebration from him in a while, its influence seems to have stuck, as his teammates in Al-Nassr have been following his lead:

If you scored a goal in front of thousands of fans, what would your celebration look like?

Banner image from Manchester United on Twitter.


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