A beginner's guide to choosing your own football celebration (based on 10 tried-and-true examples)

Harvey Barnes' bow and arrow!

That knee slide by William Saliba!

Mo Salah doing Mo Salah things!

And James Maddison playing .... beer pong.

No goal in the Premier League is complete without a proper celebration. To the pundits who insist you should just keep your head down and get on with it: You're a fun-ruiner, Gary Neville.

Whether you've played football in the Premier League (kudos), tapped out at youth soccer, or never even touched a ball, everyone needs to pick a celebration. Because it's about more than just scoring goals. Did you do something epic at work? Did you successfully put your kid down to bed? Did you start a passion project? Did you just make it through the day? Bust out that celebration!

When the proper moment presents itself, you need be ready to – in the timeless words of Lil John – get low.

The sheer volume of touchline celebrations available to us can make picking one feel overwhelming; hence, I've compiled a starter kit to help you on your journey. Odds are you'll identify with more than one celebration, which is great for you. It never hurts to keep a backup in your pocket for a rainy day.

Behold! Your guide to choosing a touchline celebration, which takes inspiration from 10 of the most iconic celebrations in the game.

The copycat

They say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. But I'm talking about footballers copying the celebrations of high-profile players when they score against them, so it's more like a taunt.

Icon behavior! This celebration is for anyone who's ever been even a little bit petty.

Sadly, some players – including Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappe – have trademarked their celebrations with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), meaning no one can copy them. I'm told players increasingly view their iconic celebrations as an extension of their personal brand, allowing them to monetize themselves accordingly. LAME.

Think again before you bust out "The Chilly," I guess.

The knee slide

Classic, effective, and dramatic, the knee slide celebration doesn't miss. There's something really satisfying about ripping up a piece of pristine turf, right? Pro tip: This can be easily duplicated in sweats on a slippery wood floor at home.

Double points when your boss/S.O./bestie/kid does the knee slide with you.

I consider this the go-to celebration for football purists / people who have lots of faith in their knees to hold up long-term.

The lose-your-shirt

You should know that celebrating by taking off your shirt earns an automatic yellow card for being "excessive."

Lest that deter you, please take your cues from Mr. Mo Salah. Mo has played in 280 games (and counting) and received just 10 yellow cards, five of which were for taking off his shirt.

The man looks good and he knows it.

Ditto Mario Balotelli. RIP Mario Balotelli's career.

The most famous instance of a footballer celebrating by taking off their shirt? Brandi Chastain. Raise your hand if you remember seeing this iconic celebration on the cover of Sports Illustrated after the U.S. women won the 1999 World Cup. 🙋‍♀️

Taking off your shirt is a celebration made for the rebels in all of us.

The acrobat

This one's limited to those of us who feel comfortable and able to perform a somersault. So, a small pool, then.

For obvious reasons, bust out this particular celebration with a healthy dose of caution. If you're wondering whether players have ever hurt themselves by flipping all over the pitch, the answer is yes.

Portsmouth's Lomano LuaLua celebrated his header against Arsenal in the 2005/06 season by landing a flip. Said acrobatics damaged his ankle, and Lomano sat out the next two games. Manager Harry Redknapp was (understandably) aggrieved, telling media,

"It [the injury] has only been a problem since he celebrated with that silly somersault."

The dancer

Not to be confused with the acrobat is the dancer. Remember, you don't have to be an objectively good dancer to celebrate in this way.

For example, look at Peter Crouch.

Having smooth moves can only help, though.

Special shout out to Jeremy Doku for doing the gritty.

The sshh

Another timeless celebration is players scoring and then holding a finger to their lips, as if telling the opposing fans to be quiet.

It can be seen as disrespectful, and players risk p*****g off the opposing fans, but it makes for great entertainment.

Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White does his own take on the celebration, by closing his eyes and plugging his fingers in his ears. Literally, he can't see or hear the haters.

MGW performed this celebration in 2024 when Nottingham Forest beat Wolves, his former club–and the Wolves supporters didn't like it one bit.

Look at their reactions.

The camera smooch

This is the camera man's favorite celebration. Try a version of it on your S.O/kid and make their day!

Notably, Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard loved a celebratory smooch.

Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold paid tribute to his idol by doing the same celebration when Liverpool played Manchester United. Sadly, VAR ruled out his goal as offside.

The "We're pregnant" announcement

Your friends send out baby shower invites, but a footballer's preferred way to announce a pregnancy is to stick a football under their shirt and call it a day.

Fun fact: This type of celebration became popular in 1994, when Brazilian forward Bebeto celebrated his goal by miming rocking a cradle.

Bebeto, bebe, baby ... it seems fitting.

Today, we get footballs under the shirt and thumbs in the mouth.

The SIUU

Cristiano Ronaldo deserves his own category IYKYK.

Cristiano Ronaldo, aka "CR7", and Lionel Messi are widely considered to be the two best footballers in the world. In particular, CR7's celebration–the SIUU–is instantly recognizable, and it's been recreated by players, fans, and even athletes in other sports.

It consists of CR7 jumping into the air with his arms outstretched and yelling "SIUUU," which means "yes" in Portuguese.

Look at how widespread the celebration is today.

The controversial one

No list is complete without a little bit of controversy. While these aren't celebrations you necessarily want to emulate, plenty of footballers have celebrated in a way that mocks negative news stories about them. It's a form of taking power back.

In 1999, Liverpool's Robbie Fowler reacted to drug allegations by scoring a penalty, and then pretending to sniff the white line on the field. His antics got him a four-match ban. Oof.

In 2015, Manchester United's Wayne Rooney got in a fight with Stoke City's Phil Bardsley. Naturally, when Rooney next scored, he celebrated by throwing punches and then pretending to be knocked out. As one does.

In 2019, the U.S. National Team's Alex Morgan mimed sipping tea with her pinky out, after she scored against England. The celebration made waves, with many fans calling Alex "cocky" and pointing to the two nation's history.

Last, but certainly not least (because you know he'd get mad if he was mentioned last), Mario Balotelli's time at Manchester City was marred by controversy. Whether it was going to a strip club shortly before a game, setting off fireworks in his own house, or accumulating a staggering amount of parking fines because he refused to park like a normal person, Mario got the most attention for his antics off the pitch.

He called people out by scoring and lifting his shirt to reveal a message, "Why always me?"

IDK Mario, maybe because you go and do things like that.

Addendum

This is not a comprehensive list, just a starter kit.

Don't @ me if there's a celebration I didn't include. Or fine, you can @ me; I like your comments.