If like me you have watched a ton of football matches, you have probably seen on a number of occasions footballers doing celebrations after scoring.
While many players will have their own celebration, you will find that some celebrations are quite popular and are a go-to for many footballers whenever they score.
So from sucking your thumb to going to the fans, in this post I will be explaining the seven most popular celebrations used in football.
Table of Contents
Celebration 1: Footballers Sucking Their Thumb
A lot of people question why footballers suck their thumb after scoring a goal, has let’s be honest it can look silly.
But for those who do it, that is often the intention, as its typically done to rub it into the team that the player has scored against, implying that scoring was child’s play.
Now while the most common reason for footballers sucking their thumb, is to basically imply scoring that goal was too easy there are other reasons why its done.
This includes when someone scores who has a newborn child. They might do their celebration towards their child.
Bruno Fernandes is a famous footballer who does this celebration. He has spoken in interviews saying the reason for this, is to dedicate it to his daughter Matilde.
While greats like Francesco Totti did it throughout their career to signify
Famous footballers who also do this celebration:
- Francesco Totti
- Andres Iniesta
- Mesut Ozil
Celebration 2: Footballers Going To The Corner
A common celebration that is pulled off, is a footballer running to the corner of the field.
This happens in most games that there is a goal in, and there are multiple reasons why players do it.
The first and most common reason is that footballers want to go and celebrate with their fans.
It is similar to the NFL where players will sometimes even go into the crowd themselves.
This however is either not done or allowed when the fans behind the goal are of the other team.
As that is seen as causing trouble and taunting.
Now the other reason why footballers will go into the corner after a goal is because they want some space to do their own celebration there.
Whether that be hit the corner flag, a fist pump in the air, a knee slide, or their own celebration routine.
This celebration is done by so many players, that it makes it hard to point out numerous footballers.
However, one player in particular Tim Cahill, became famous for boxing the corner flag after bagging goals during his career.
Celebration 3: Putting The Ball Under The Shirt
This celebration is somewhat similar to putting your thumb in your mouth, as this one is about having a child too.
Why a footballer puts the ball under the shirt to celebrate is to dedicate that goal to the birth of their child or either their wife being pregnant.
Because a footballer is doing this they will sometimes go to the camera, so that the wife knows that goal was for them.
Now putting a ball under the shirt can also be done for a reason similar to thumb sucking to state that scoring was too easy.
Lastly unlike some celebrations on this list, a ball will be put under a player’s shirt during a game for other reasons than to just celebrate.
For instance, if conditions are wet and a team is awarded a throw-in, then a footballer may use his shirt to dry it, therefore putting it under his shirt to do so.
Celebration 4: Kiss Their Wrists
Another go-to celebration that is particularly popular for those who have tattoos is to kiss their wrists.
That is because some footballers will get a tattoo on their wrist of loved ones such as their kids, parents, or other halves.
So why footballers kiss their wrists, will simply be to dedicate that goal to them.
For some footballers, it has become a signature celebration that is performed every time they score and one example is Luis Suarez.
Luis Suarez kisses his wrist after every goal, because he has each of his kid’s names on it, and wants to dedicate it to them.
Celebration 5: Point To The Sky
A celebration that has been used not only in Football but other sports around the world is the point to the sky.
Footballers point to the sky after scoring either to say thanks to god or to dedicate it to the passing of a family member.
There are a few famous players who will be the first on many fans minds for this celebration, this includes Frank Lampard and Lionel Messi.
Frank Lampard who retired in 2017, would point to the sky for his daughter Luna.
However for Lionel Messi who still plays does it for another reason, and that is to dedicate it to his late grandmother who died in 1998.
Celebration 6: Taking Off Their Shirt After Scoring
When a footballer takes off their shirt after scoring it is almost always because of a lot of emotion.
The sport is one that is full of emotions, and this celebration reflects that, as this one can be done to express both happy and sad emotions.
If a footballer scores in the dying seconds of the game to get their team a result, they may take their shirt off in jubilation for scoring a goal of such importance.
This has happened a lot in professional football, famously Andres Iniesta did this against Chelsea after scoring a last gasp goal in the Champions League 2009 Semi-Final that saw them book a place in the final.
However while footballers will do it because they are buzzing, others will do it for a reason of sadness. That is because players will have an underlayer with a message that they are dedicating the goal to.
This is often to pay respects to someone close to the player who has died recently.
Andres Iniesta also did this on another instance in the 2010 World Cup final when scoring the winning goal in extra-time against the Netherlands dedicating it to a fellow Spanish international footballer Dani Jarque.
Now while most times there is normally a good reason for a footballer taking his shirt off, as I have gone over, it can also be done for silly reasons.
One really good instance of this was when Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli did it in a 6-1 win against Manchester United in 2011. After opening the scoring the player comically revealed a shirt saying ‘why always me’.
Signing Off
There you have it, those are some of the most common celebrations that are typically questioned in the game.
While some of them can look a bit ridiculous, such as the sucking the thumb celebration like many of the ones performed in football there tends to be a reason behind it.
That is if your name is not Mario Balotelli.
Now if you have any questions or have a celebration that you would like explaining then do leave it below 🙂
If celebrations interest you too, then these other posts below I have covered on them may also be of interest to you:
14 World Class Footballers Who All Wear Number 14