A friend once asked me, “Why do football players celebrate so ridiculously?” I didn’t have an answer for him at the time but, upon further reflection, it occurs to me every goal celebration is an extension of the sport – a mini-drama that captures the essence of football in one act. Goals are hard to come by in football. When a player hears the swoosh of the ball in the back of the net, the cries of thousands of frenzied fans, it evokes raw emotion unrivaled in almost any other sport. The best goal celebrations are pure, emotive moments that perfectly capture the passion of soccer and play it back for fans to enjoy.
Goal celebrations also represent the global diversity of football. Case in point, the Columbian National Team’s choreographed dance routine at the 2014 World Cup. Whether celebrations are joyous, serious, humorous, devotional or egotistic, they tell more about a player than any scripted media interview ever could. Goal celebrations can even reveal the current mood within a team.
Related: Watch This Compilation Of Amazing Goal Celebrations
They are such an engrained part of the culture, that FIFA video game players learn combos for goal celebrations with the same fervor that kids a few decades ago learned Mortal Kombat fatalities. Simply put, they are football, and the game would not be the same without them.
Looking back across the years, a handful of goal celebrations stand out above the rest. We’ve compiled these into our list of the 11 best goal celebrations of all time.
The 11 Best Goal Celebrations Of All Time
11. Samuel Eto’o: “The Old Man”
This celebration is unique in the fact that it relies on context to be truly perfect. When Eto’o was at Chelsea, speculation was rife that he was several years older than he claimed. The controversy came to light after Jose Mourinho was secretly recorded saying Eto’o might be 35, not 32. In response to Mourinho’s jab, Eto’o performed this peach of a celebration after scoring against Tottenham.
10. Nani: “The Gymnast”
If Nani had put half the effort into his on-field play as he did into his goal celebrations, he would have fulfilled the Ronaldo-like potential he once displayed. As it is, he will forever be remembered as a Manchester United flop. But despair not Nani. At least we have the memories.
9. Mario Balotelli: “The Philosopher“
This was a key moment that encapsulated who Mario Balotelli is. After scoring against Manchester United, the controversial Italian whipped off his top to reveal the cheeky question, “Why always me?” Unfortunately for Balotelli, his return to England at Liverpool saw the question change to “Why did we buy you?”
8. Alessandro Florenzi- The Grandson
Most of the great goal celebrations in this list are humorous or downright egotistical. Sometimes, however, a goal celebration can tug at the heart strings like this one from Roma right back Alessandro Florenzi. After scoring, he charged the barricades to run into the stands and hug his grandmother. Unfortunately for him, the referee booked him for his familial devotion. C’mon ref. Your grandma would be ashamed.
7. Eric Cantona: “The King”
Number seven on our countdown of great goal celebrations belongs to one of the most famous players to wear the number in the game. It’s hard to tell whether Cantona is standing in disbelief, or whether he’s surveying his regal domain. Either way, he’s still the only man who can pull off the popped collar.
6. Francesco Totti: “The Photographer”
When you have the legendary status of a man like Francesco Totti, you can pretty much do whatever you want. And, apparently, that manifests itself into taking a selfie on the pitch. For his next trick, Signor Totti will perform “Don Giovanni” while walking on his hands…oh, and also score the match-winner.
5. Stjarnan F.C.: “The Toilet”
Never heard of Iceland’s Stjarnan F.C.? Well, allow us to brighten your day. These lads execute great goal celebrations with all the discipline of a Russian ballet, albeit with a MAD magazine sense of humor. In this episode, the team creates a human toilet. At the very least, they have manners. They did put the seat down.
4. Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Marco Reus: “The Dynamic Duo”
A list of great goal celebrations would not be complete without this gem. Anything that involves Batman is usually awesome by proxy (except, of course, for the movie “Batman and Robin.” George Clooney? Really guys?). Aubameyang and Reus have been a force this season for Borussia Dortmund, and have earned their superhero monikers in style.
3. Wayne Rooney: “The Boxer”
Wayne Rooney has taken more than his fair share of punches from the British media, but in March of 2015, it became slightly more literal. After a video surfaced of Wayne Rooney being knocked out by Stoke defender Phil Bardsley, the striker poked some fun at himself with this great goal celebration.
2. Stjarnan F.C.: “The Fisherman”
O.K…yes…the Icelandic boys have already been on this list, but they are the masters of amazing goal celebrations. The greatest part of this celebration is the player’s fantastic impersonation of a flopping fish. Seriously, how do you even learn something like that?
1. Jacopo Violani: “The Wrecking Ball”
And the award for the greatest goal celebration goes to…um…some Italian lower league player from the team Riolo Terme. Never heard of it? Doesn’t matter. Take a look at Violani’s best impression of Juggernaut from X-Men. It’s actually quite impressive. Unfortunately for the young head-butt enthusiast, the referee did not take kindly to his antics, and sent him off. Apparently, they don’t mess around in the lower Italian leagues.
