Know the meaning of an Olimpico goal in football
You’ve just watched something that doesn’t often happen in football if you have heard football supporters yelling about an “Olimpico” goal.
Explained what is the meaning of an Olimpico goal in football and list of scorers who have scored straight from a corner kick
Tottenham Hotspur defeated Manchester United 4-3 to go to the Carabao Cup semifinals. Star player Son Heung-min scored Spurs’ fourth goal straight from a corner to give the home team the win. Altay Bayindir, the goalie for the Red Devils, claimed that he was blocked when Son’s cross was delivered, but the referee dismissed his protests.
Seven days later, Manchester United gave up a goal in the same manner. The home team seized the lead when Matheus Cunha swung the ball into the net from an unlikely position during their Premier League match against Wolves as he scored straight from the corner kick with Andre Onana failing to keep the delivery out of his net.
Matheus Cunha's Olimpico against Manchester United! 🤯💫 pic.twitter.com/6OG7Tm4hRS
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) December 26, 2024
They’re called ‘Olimpico’ goals, and they’re not very often. Here is a closer look at the origin of the phrase as well as instances of other well-known players, such as Thierry Henry, Christian Pulisic, and Megan Rapinoe, who have scored goals straight off a corner.
French forward Henry in 2012 scored directly from a corner when playing for New York Red Bulls against Columbus Crew and Joao Morais also scored one in the 1964 Cup Winners’ Cup final against MTK Budapest for Sporting CP.
Throughout her career, Rapinoe scored a lot of goals for Olimpico, including two at the Olympics. The first of these occurred in the semi-final encounter versus Canada during the 2012 tournament in London. The USA had a corner in the 54th minute after Christine Sinclair gave the Canadians the lead in the first half.
Rapinoe curled the ball into the net at the near post, and the opposing goalkeeper and defenders were unable to clear it. Christian Pulisic’s goal for AC Milan against Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League on October 22, 2024, is one recent example.
Sonny's Olimpico 🤯 pic.twitter.com/8BL6Jg1A1B
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 20, 2024
Olimpico meaning
The term ‘Olimpico’ has a century-old provenance. Cesareo Onzari scored against the Olympic champions straight from a corner during a 1924 Argentina vs. Uruguay match. ‘Gol Olimpico’ (Spanish for ‘Olympic goal’) was the term coined after Onzari’s performance.
The Argentinian’s goal was entirely legal, despite the opinions of some who believed it shouldn’t stand. Because of the angle of a corner kick, these goals are rarely scored; the only way to score one is with an in-swinging delivery. Players rarely intentionally shoot from corners in this age of set-piece coaches, so when they do, it’s usually regarded as an anomaly.