The guard of honour is one of football’s most symbolic and respectful gestures, find out more about it below
While there are requirements of the guard of honor in any rulebook, the gesture carries a powerful message of acknowledging greatness.
Guard of honour in football explained, origins, teams that refused to give a guard of honour, and more
The double Guard of Honour. Class. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Ae9owgjcPJ
— Samuel (@SamueILFC) May 25, 2025
Teams generally perform the guard of honour in recognition of the other team winning a league title or an individual retiring after years of service.
Guard of Honour in football explained
A guard of honour in football usually takes place right before a match. It starts off with players from the opposing team forming two lines and applauding the champions or the individual being honoured while they walk in through towards the pitch. While teams carry out this gesture as a tribute for league title winners, sometimes it is also extended to players or managers for their exceptional service or achievements.
they should keep doing this until they get to the other side of the pitch then start kissing https://t.co/yWbIMsuxvx
— big duntles (@biglunty) May 25, 2025
Despite it being a common gesture, there are no official football regulations that mandate it. As a result, clubs are not obligated to perform the gesture and it is purely voluntary. Despite this, it has seemingly become a widely accepted tradition in leagues like the Premier League.
Guard of Honour origins
The Guard of Honour has its roots as a custom back to 1955, when Manchester United lined up to applaud Chelsea for winning their first league title. Another early example was when United paid tribute to Arsenal after their title win in 1991. The tradition has since become more frequent in the Premier League era. Back in 2003, Everton also gave Manchester United a guard of honour at Goodison Park.
In some cases, league champions receive multiple guards of honour if they win their lague with games still left. Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp received about seven guard of honours after clinching the title during the 2019–20 season. Manchester City also received the Guard of honour on four occasions by different clubs after winning the 2017–18 league owing to them wrapping up the league early with matches left.
Teams That Refused the Guard of Honour
Despite the respectful nature of the tradition, several teams have refused to do the gesture over the years. Scottish team Rangers once declined to form a guard of honour for Celtic before the last Old Firm clash of the season. Interim manager Barry Ferguson stated:
it has never happened in the past.”
Another prime example is Barcelona refusing to honour Real Madrid’s Club World Cup win in 2017. In response, Real also returned the sentiment, as Zinedine Zidane opted not to applaud Barca’s La Liga title.
The Premier League has also seen its fair share of clubs refusing to do the guard of honour. Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva held water bottles instead of clapping for Liverpool back in 2020. During the 2013 season, Robin van Persie also received boos from Arsenal fans while walking through their guard of honour having joined their rivals Manchester United.
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