Why Do Soccer Players Kiss Each Other? Surprising Reasons Explained

If you’ve ever watched an intense soccer match, you might have noticed something that the casual viewer might find a little strange – players kissing one another. A quick kiss on the cheek, forehead, or even lips is common in soccer.

But why does this happen? Is it culturally ingrained in the sport that way, a spontaneous expression of joy, or something more?

Football is not just a game; it is a sport involving passion, team spirit, emotions, and a strong bond between players.

Kissing in soccer isn’t a haphazard act; it’s imbued with meaning that can change according to context, the culture of the team and even the personal relationships among the players.

So, in this post, we will look deep into why soccer players kiss each other, considering the cultural elements, emotional backgrounds, and the powerful relationships that teammates maintain.

The Expression of Pure Emotion

Soccer is an emotional game; high-tension, high-drama, high-adrenaline. When a team scores a goal, players often go wild — hugging, jumping, piling atop each other — and, occasionally, kissing.

A goal is a moment of victory, and emotions run high. Players often react instinctively, and for those, a quick kiss becomes a natural way of showing their excitement.

As you might embrace a close friend or your family member when you get good news, soccer players also show their happiness with gestures of the body.

The Bond Between Teammates

Well, the soccer team isn’t just a bunch of people playing soccer together, they’re a family! Players arrive together, hours after hour — training, traveling, strategizing, competing.

They get to build strong relationships with each other, one that is based on trust, respect, and kinship.

Kissing can be an expression of this deep connection.

It’s a way to pay tribute to and honor a teammate.” If a player plays a role in a vital goal, or a game-changing act, a kiss can be a token of gratitude and shared esteem.

Cultural Influences

Kissing is a common form of greeting, presenting, and affection, in many cultures. In places such as Spain, Italy, Argentina and Brazil, men greet one another with a kiss on the cheek. It isn’t seen as unusual or romantic but as a mark of friendship and camaraderie.

Since soccer is baked in these cultures, it’s common for players from these cultures to kiss. If you watch teams from Southern Europe or South America, you’ll see these gestures happen more often than with teams from other places where cultural norms might differ.

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Superstitions and Rituals

There’s a superstitious streak in many soccer players. Some players are supremely superstitious, engaging in any number of rituals before a match — donning a lucky pair of socks, entering the field with a certain foot first or openly kissing their teammates before kickoff.

For some players, kissing their teammates or the team badge ahead of a game can serve as good fortune or enhance their mentality. Or, maybe, soccer superstition — which is rampant — means the kisses are just part of a player’s unique routine.

Moments of Relief and Support

Not all kisses take place in happy moments. At times, they take place when one player is seeing another through a difficult moment: a penalty kick gone bad, an injury, the pressure of actual play.

A kiss on the forehead, or on the cheek, can also be a signal of support, reassurance and solidarity. That’s a small but mighty action that tells someone: “I’m showing up for you. We’re in this together.”

Adrenaline and Impulse

When they play a soccer match, they face a tremendous amount of adrenaline. This high emotionality can lead one to act impulsively, including kissing.

It’s an instinctive response to the intensity of the game — In the heat of the moment, players may not even realize they’re doing it.

This is analogous to how athletes might yell, pump their fists or even cry when passions are high. This means that the mind and body are so inside of the moment that certain actions, a peck on the lips, just happen out of instinct.

The Influence of History and Tradition

If you look back through the annals of soccer history, though, there are plenty of examples of players showing affection for one another.

Others among the game’s most storied rivals, such as Diego Maradona and Pelé, also reveled in the open displays of brotherly love.

Many of these traditions have been handed down through the generations. New players join the sport, watch their idols wearing their feelings on their sleeves — literally — and they keep that practice going, and so it goes, keeping the behavior a part of the game’s ethos.

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Media and Public Perception

Soccer is one of the most followed and watched sports in the world and all action on the field gets scrutinized by the media and fans. The site of players kissing each other may strike some people as unusual or even controversial.

But for others who know the story, it’s really all about friendship, emotion and team spirit.

In fact, the sport has become increasingly more welcoming to displays of affection between players in recent years.

With more conversation around masculinity and men’s sports normalizing vulnerability and men being emotional, these gestures are seen as unity rather than something strange.

The Psychological Benefits of Physical Affection

Studies have found that physical touch, including hugging and kissing, releases oxytocin, known as the “bonding hormone.” This hormone lowers stress, increases trust, and touches off social bonding.

As subtle as these acts may seem, in a high-pressured setting like professional soccer, through which players become subjected to huge amounts of stress and high expectations, they can provide a type of psychological support.

They can help players feel connected, are a shot of confidence, and inject team positivity.

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What Countries Do People Kiss Each Other As Friends?

Cheek kissing is a social ritual seen on nearly every continent. People kiss friends and family, sometimes someone they’re being introduced to, as a greeting, a token of respect or to congratulate them.

In some parts of the world, such as in Continental (mainland) Europe, Latin America, and certain regions of Southeast Asia, kissing is the normal way people greet one another. The number of kisses varies from region to region, and is from one kiss to three kisses.

While women kiss men and other women in many of these cultures, it’s less common for men to kiss other men, unless they’re close friends or family. Instead, they usually prefer a handshake.

But in a few parts of the world, it is normal for men to kiss each other whenever they meet or to greet each other. Men kiss often in some countries, such as:

• Italy

• France

• Spain

• Belgium

• Netherlands

• Argentina

• Chile

• Uruguay

These are all soccer-rich countries. These are part of the main explanations as to why it transitioned into a soccer game: The comfortability and familiarity of kissing friends. Depending on the occasion, people in certain countries exchange varying amounts of kisses.

In the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium called Flanders, people kiss once to greet one another — and three times in a celebration, such as for a birthday, or after a goal.

Is Kissing in Soccer Appropriate?

Although kissing in soccer is typically a positive and significant action, it does have its controversies. Some say the field isn’t the place for a kiss, especially in a sport that has long been associated with masculinity, testosterone and toughness.

They say that kissing is too intimate to be seen in public and that it gives the wrong impression to young fans.

However, these arguments often rely on outdated differences between gender and sexuality. Soccer is a game played by all genders, and there’s no reason players shouldn’t be able to express their emotions in whatever way comes naturally.

Kissing is just one of many ways to demonstrate affection and respect, and it’s no less than a handshake or a high-five.

Soccer players are always viewed as tough and stoic, but they’re human beings with emotions just like anyone else. Kissing is a demonstration of fellows being a little vulnerable, a little expressive in an otherwise hypercompetitive environment.”

What Does It Mean When Soccer Players Kiss Their Wrist?

If you have meaningful tattoos, players often kiss their wrists in a goal celebration. There are a lot of pros with tattoos dedicated to their loved ones.

The focusing attention of the camera on the goalscorer (or more specifically the reaction of the goalscorer) during the post-goal celebration offers a chance to make some sort of public display of affection towards their family, their spouse, their children, or whoever the tattoo in question is dedicated to.

Negredo, a former Manchester City and Spain striker who kisses his wrist and then his bicep after every goal.

His wrist tattoo includes the initials of his brothers and parents. He has tattoos of his wife and daughter’s initials on his bicep.

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Why Do Soccer Players Kiss Their Ring Finger?

Soccer players kiss their wedding finger to dedicate a goal to their spouse.

When scoring goals, players like Raúl González (Real Madrid) and Rivaldo (Barcelona & AC Milan) famously kissed their ring fingers and sent a salute to their other halves.

Luis Suarez is renowned for kissing things during the modern game. Suarez starts his celebration by kissing his right ring finger. Then he kisses a tattoo of his daughter’s name, Delfina, inked on his wrist.

Then he kisses three different fingers, one for each of his wife and two kids.

What Does Sucking Thumb Mean In Soccer?

Soccer players often suck their thumb to dedicate their goal to their baby or young child. It is a playful way to celebrate that might grab their child’s attention if they are watching the game on TV.

Why Do Soccer Players Kiss The Badge?

Soccer players kiss the badge on their jersey as a sign of love or loyalty of their team. But badge kissing is more common in international games than domestic competitions.

It’s a dream come true for many players, to be representing their country. Players kiss their badges in celebration of international goals, cementing their passion and emotion.