What does Cristiano Ronaldo’s 'siiiiii' celebration mean?

 

CRISTIANO RONALDO

MANCHESTER UNITED

PORTUGAL

WTF

The Portugal international has deployed an array of celebrations over the years, but one in particular has come to define his goalscoring exploits

Football's goal celebrations come in all shapes and most players have their own unique expression of joy.

Jurgen Klinsmann famously poked fun at his depiction as a diver in the press by performing a dive after scoring, while Paul Pogba has a number of different dance routines.

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest goalscorers of all time, so has had plenty of opportunities to work at his celebrations, and he has settled upon a select few moves, but the most famous is his "siiiiii" one.

In case you're wondering what it means, Goal brings you everything to know about Ronaldo's celebration

What does Cristiano Ronaldo's 'siiiiii' celebration mean?

Ronaldo's trademark goal celebration sees him perform a mid-air pirouette before exclaiming "si!" (sometimes spelled "siu") - which is Spanish for "yes!" - upon landing. It is an expression of delight at scoring.

After Ronaldo jumps and lands, supporters normally join the forward in roaring the word, producing a booming sound which reverberates throughout the stadium.

The 'si!' celebration has become synonymous with Ronaldo in the later part of his career and he first began performing it when he was at Real Madrid.

He famously screamed "siiiiii!" on stage at the 2014 Ballon d'Or ceremony after collecting the award ahead of perennial rival Lionel Messi, prompting a mixed response, with many left bewildered by the outburst.

When Ronaldo performs the celebration he often incorporates some of his other familiar celebratory gestures in a medley of smug self confidence.

He might, for example, throw his arms out to his side while running towards the crowd, or point at himself in a way that suggests he, in fact, is the man.

Of course, it would be bad form to just randomly perform the celebration, the first thing you need to is to put the ball in the back of the net!