Sporting CP Viktor Gyokeres is currently tearing it up across Europe with his goals and his iconic mask goal celebration, find out the meaning behind his celebration below
Gyokeres has been putting top performances in the Portuguese top flight as well as in the Champions League since 2023.
Footballer Viktor Gyokeres mask goal celebration meaning and origin explained
The Swedish striker recently gained a lot of prominence following his three goals against Manchester City in the Champions League.
Viktor Gyokeres in high demand
Viktor Gyokeres is currently an in-demand striker due to his goalscoring form ever since joining Sporting from Coventry in 2023. The 26-year-old has scored an impressive 66 goals in the Portuguese top flight and the Champions League ever since joining Sporting. Unsurprisingly, his performances and his iconic goal celebration have caught the attention of many Premier League giants like Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.
The Red Devils are the clear favourites to land Gyokeres, with Sporting boss Ruben Amorim set to take over at Old Trafford starting from November 11. Reports indicate that Sporting are willing to accept a cut fee of £63million for the Swede. He currently has an £83m release clause against his name.
Viktor Gyokeres’ mask goal celebration
El aura de Viktor Gyokeres 💀 pic.twitter.com/FZ1jOmBOKw
— Analistas (@SomosAnalistas_) November 9, 2024
Whenever Gyokeres scores a goal, he celebrates by locking his fingers together on both hands before covering his mouth and nose in order to create a mask.
Meaning behind Viktor Gyokeres goal celebration
The meaning behind Viktor’s unique celebration remained completely unknown up until he shared a highlights reel of his goals from the 2023/24 season. While sharing the reels on his Instagram, he added the caption:
Nobody cared until I put on the mask.”
Notably, the caption is a slight misquote from the iconic Batman film The Darts Knight Rises. In the movie, the main villain Bane, says:
It doesn’t matter who we are, what matters is our plan. No one cared who I was till I put on the mask.”
Previously, Gyokeres hinted that a DC supervillain is the inspiration behind the celebration. Moreover, Victor’s former Coventry team-mate Josh Eccles had also suggested in the past that it was a reference to film character Hannibal Lecter. However, Gyokeres himself stated that the theory was incorrect during an interview. During that interview, he stated:
There were lots of guesses… There was Hannibal Lecter and Batman and everything possible, but nobody got it right. No-one came close. Yes, it’s a secret. I can clarify that, but not today.”