The 10 Most Iconic Goal Celebrations
by Joseph King | by Yunchu Li
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Football celebrations
For decades, football celebrations consisted of little more than the goal scorer triumphantly raising his hands to the air while his teammates came over to congratulate him. While this of course is still a fairly common occurrence, there is much more variety and flair to the occasion these days. Here are 10 celebrations that live on as some of the most iconic the game has ever seen.
Brazilian dogpile
Brazil vs USSR, 1958 World Cup group stage
Pele and company produced one of the earliest recorded viral celebrations in their final group stage match at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. It was a match that would see the Brazilians top the group thanks to a 2-0 victory. Vavá was the hero of the day for Brazil, netting the goals in the third minute and the 77th. It was the second strike that would produce this famous celebration which saw the Brazilian players swarm to the striker to shower him in affection. Such was the intensity of the Brazilian players that the force of the dogpile resulted in the medical team needing to tend to Vavá when the celebrations subsided.
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The Tardelli cry
Italy vs Germany, 1982 World Cup final
Marco Tardelli certainly wasn’t the first player to produce an enthusiastic scream while celebrating a goal. However, there was something special about the combination of the moment, the perfect camera shot and Tardelli’s unbridled emotions in his celebration. The moment occurred in the 69th minute of the World Cup final where Marco Tardelli would score Italy’s second goal. This put the Azzurri up 2-0 as they raced towards what would go on to be their third World Cup title. It’s a celebration that is remembered fondly to this day by Italian fans and will remain one of their most iconic moments.
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Sanchez’s signature somersaults
Believed to originate in the mid 1980s
While Hugo Sanchez himself might not remember when he first performed his now iconic somersault, it was a staple of his goal scoring exploits during his years at Real Madrid. Sanchez possessed a penchant for scoring spectacular leaping goals and overhead kicks which only helped to boost his popularity. The legendary Mexican striker would go on to lead the La Liga scoring charts four years in a row and racked up a career total 562 goals in 956 appearances. The legacy of his somersault can be seen in the game today with players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stating that his celebration is inspired by the acrobatics of Hugo Sanchez.
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Milla’s ‘Makossa’ delights the world
Cameroon vs Romania, 1990 World Cup group stage
One of Cameroon’s most iconic footballers of all-time, Roger Milla wasn’t planning on playing in the 1990 World Cup after retiring from international play in 1988. However, a personal call from the Cameroonian president would convince Milla to serve his country once again at the ripe old age of 38. Cameroon headed to the 1990 World Cup in Italy with the “Old Lion” leading his countrymen to their best ever finish, making it to the quarter-final.
Milla was also responsible for one of the competitions most famous moments. The 38-year-old captain opened the scoring in the 76th minute of his team’s second group stage match against Romania. He would celebrate his first World Cup goal by performing the popular “Makossa” dance at the corner flag. The moment captured the joy of the world’s most famous sporting event and was a beautiful showcase for what makes the competition so special. It remains today as arguably the most famous image of the tournament and is among the top results when one searches the internet for the 1990 World Cup.
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Bebeto rocks the baby
Brazil vs the Netherlands, 1994 World Cup quarter-final
Forming a fearsome striking partnership with Romario, Bebeto was a key figure in Brazil’s run to the 1994 World Cup title. In a moment of brilliance in the 62nd minute of play, Bebeto would latch on to a long clearing header, hold off the challenge of the last man and round the keeper to score an empty net finish. His resulting celebration of rocking his arms together as if cradling a baby in honor of his newborn son Mattheus, born just two days prior to this match. The celebration is one that we still see to this day across all sports. It’s become both a way to celebrate the birth of a new child and as a way to taunt opposing teams and fans.
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Robbie Fowler: man of the people
Liverpool vs Brann, 1997 Cup Winners Cup quarter-final
Politics often intertwines itself in the world of sport and the 1997 Cup Winners Cup provided yet another example. After scoring Liverpool’s third goal against Brann, Fowler would lift up his team shirt to display a t-shirt underneath which read, “Support the 500 sacked dockers.” This was in reference to layoffs in the docking industry which had resulted in hundreds of Merseyside residents losing their jobs over the course of two years. Fowler would be forced to pay a fine for his actions to the tune of around 900 pounds but the respect he earned from the fanbase was invaluable.
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The thumb-sucking hero of Rome
Roma’s 2005-06 Serie A season
The Italian Serie A was largely considered to be the best league in world football in the 90s and into the early 2000s. While we’re not sure of the exact date the Roma legend Francesco Totti first started what is now an iconic celebration, it likely began shortly after the birth of his son Cristian. It is a gesture still seen to this day as a way for players to celebrate the birth of a child in a similar vein to Bebeto’s cradle rock. Totti showed tremendous loyalty to his boyhood club, playing 25 years for the Giallorossi and is unquestionably the team’s most famous player ever. His stellar reputation in the city ensures that the thumb-sucking celebration of “The Emperor of Rome” will always have a place in Italian pop culture.
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Messi’s heartfelt celebration
2004 - Present
One of the more emotional examples on this list, Lionel Messi’s now iconic ‘point to the sky’ two hands up celebration has a personal significance to the Argentine maestro. The gesture is Messi’s way of paying respect to his late grandmother Celia, who passed away in 1998. Messi credits his grandmother immensely in his rise to the summit of the sport and therefore dedicates every goal scored to her in this way. Celia had unwavering belief in the ability of her grandson and would often be the one to accompany a young Leo to training. It was also said that it was Celia who convinced the coach of the team to let Leo compete against the older kids despite being just five years old. She would be proven right as Messi would go on to score two goals on that day.
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Gareth Bale and the patented heart
2010/11 Premier League season
Quite a common celebration these days that is done by footballers in leagues around the world is the act of making a heart symbol using one's fingers. However, did you know that Gareth Bale officially owns the patent rights to the now popular celebration? In 2013, the now retired ex-Tottenham and Real Madrid winger reportedly had to battle singer Justin Timberlake for the patent but was ultimately successful in his venture. Bale first started incorporating the gesture into his goal celebrations in 2010 and would see a lot more use in the 2012/13 season when the Welshman would find the net 21 times in the league.
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Ronaldo’s leap becomes a global sensation
Real Madrid vs Chelsea, 2013 International Champions Cup
It’s now been a decade since Cristiano Ronaldo first pulled out his now famous “Siiiuuuuu!” celebration. The iconic leap was first performed in a preseason friendly match in the United States when the Portuguese superstar was playing for Real Madrid against Chelsea. You’re likely familiar with the celebration, which consists of Ronaldo leaping, turning in the air and landing with his arms outstretched to the sides while yelling the now famous affirmation. Ronaldo would later describe the occurrence, stating that the celebration was very much a spur of the moment type of reaction. As things stand today, the celebration is synonymous with the legendary career of one of football’s all-time greats.
