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

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 "siiuuu" one.

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

What does Cristiano Ronaldo's 'siiuuu' 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.

FIFA's translator was evidently taken aback by it and some of the attendees, such as then Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, could be seen laughing.

"The scream? The players know I always do that shout when I score a goal or when we win," Ronaldo told Spanish TV station Cuatro afterwards. "It’s our shout, from Real Madrid."

While the attacker said back then that it was the celebratory shout of the Real Madrid team, it is quite clearly his trademark and he continued to use it when he transferred to Juventus.

“Siuuuuuuuu” ????

This video of Cristiano Ronaldo’s second goal and celebration vs Newcastle ????pic.twitter.com/BxTuJEOojW

— GOAL (@goal) September 11, 2021

Given Ronaldo's popularity as a player, it is no surprise that his fans regularly mimick the celebration. Interestingly, however, even his fellow professionals have copied the move.

in 2019, Serbia international Mark Grujic performed a rendition of the 'siiiiii' celebration after scoring a goal against Schalke while on loan at Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin.

"Pure emotion. I could not control it, it just happened like that," Grujic told Bild. "I look up to Ronaldo. He is a great role model for me because he works obsessively on his development."

Later in the year, members the K-League All-Star team did it during a match against Juventus, which elicited a wry smile from the Portuguese, who had a front-row seat on the bench.

Erling Haaland copying Cristiano Ronaldo's celebration ????pic.twitter.com/TouLSduisz

— GOAL (@goal) February 20, 2020

How to do the Cristiano Ronaldo 'siiuuu' celebration

In order to do Ronaldo's famous "siiiiii" celebration you need to run, jump, turn in mid-air, then throw your hands down to the side when you land.

The position of the legs when landing is crucial too - they must be spread wide in a 'power stance' - and ideally you will have your back to the crowd, thus displaying the name on your shirt.

Once the pirouette is complete, the final flourish of the celebration is the scream of "si!".

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GOAL (@goalglobal)

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!