5 Footballers Who Were Punished For Celebrating A Goal On The Field 

Celebrating A Goal gone wrong! Explore the top five footballers who were punished for celebrating their goals on the field 

Well, from Gareth Bales’ 11 of hearts to Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic knee glide – the game of football has been all about rage and madness after scoring match-winning goals for their teams for these iconic footballers. However, there have been a few instances when these glorious and electrifying goal-celebrations turned into fuming controversies landing football players into real troubles making them face brutal punishments, penalties and sometimes even suspensions.

In this article we will take a look at the top five football players who were punished for celebrating a goal on the field. 

• Merih Demiral’s Wolf Salute 

In the most recent Turkey’s Euro 2024 round of 16 victory over Austria Merih Demiral, Turkey’s defender was handed a two-match suspension punishment after he made a “wolf salute” while celebrating his second match-winning goal of the match. Apparently, the wolf salute gesture has strong political implications and is absolutely banned in countries like Austria and France. Therefore Merih Demiral’s wolf salute’s celebration was brutally condemned and he was handed a two-match suspension for his offensive actions on the field while celebrating a goal. 

• Edinson Cavani’s Cryptic Social Media Post 

Edindon Cavani, the prominent Uruguayan striker is at the second spot on our list of top five football players who were punished for celebrating a goal on the field. Shortly after winning the Premier League match for Manchester United in 2020 Edinson landed into a fuming controversy. Edinson Cavani replied to one of his follower’s congratulatory messages on Instagram with the phrase “Gracias Negrito” which translates to “thank you, black man” in English. The incident soon became a huge controversy on the internet and Edinson Cavani was bashed for his racist remarks. As a consequence, Edinson Cavani was handed a three-match ban and was also charged a fine worth £100,000. 

• Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka’s Eagle Gesture 

The 2018 FIFA World Cup proved to be a major downfall for the iconic Swiss football players of Albanian-Kosovo descent Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka even after they won the match against Serbia. While celebrating a goal the duo publicly made the double-headed eagle gesture on the football field which instantly caught the attention of Serbian football team and the viewers as well. Their double-headed eagle gesture was seen as an unacceptable act owing to the ongoing political tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. Although the duo did not face any suspensions each of them was fined 10,000 Swiss francs for inflicting deliberate provocation on a global stage. 

• Diego Maradona’s Maniac Celebration 

Although Diego Maradona’s maniac goal-celebration incident dates back to 1994, it never gets old as it led to a 15-month long ban for the footballer which ultimately ruined his entire career. During the second match of the 1994 World Cup, Diego Maradona scored a stellar match-winning goal which assisted his team in securing a record-breaking 4-0 win against Greece. Right after scoring his match-winning goal, Diego Maradona ran towards a pitch side camera and shouted into the lense on the top of his lungs which caused numerous speculations about his extremely spirited behavior on the field. 

Following the match, Diego Naradona was sent for a routine drug test where he tested positive for consuming ephedrine, a banned substance. As a consequence, Diego Maradona was immediately expelled from the 1994 World Cup and was handed a 15-month long ban from all formats of football. 

Also Read: Ranking the 5 Best Bicycle Kick Goals in Football History

• Emmanuel Adebayor’s Fuming Encounter With Arsenal Fans 

If you’re a fan of football, you must know how crucial it is for football players to remain loyal to their teams and clubs. Well, Emmanuel Adebayor came out as an exception when he chose to shift his loyalty from Arsenal to Manchester City in 2009. Emmanuel Adebayor faced a brutal backlash and criticism from the Arsenal fans when he played for Manchester City against Arsenal in a Premier league match in 2019. 

During the match Emmanuel Adebayor scored a dominating goal for Manchester City and took the score to 3-1. While celebrating a goal against his former club Arsenal, Emmanuel Adebayor ran towards the Arsenal supporters and did a knee slide with his arms stretched wide open. The crowd took it as a provocation and attacked Emmanuel with ugly verbal slurs and threats. As a consequence of inciting the crowd, Emmanuel was handed with a two-match ban and a fine of £25,000.