Hany Mukhtar (foto: Official TW/IG/FB account)
Hany Mukhtar led Nashville SC in recreating Diogo Jota's celebration after scoring a 101st-minute penalty, paying tribute to the late Liverpool star who tragically passed away this week.
Hany Mukhtar delivered a powerful tribute to Diogo Jota on Saturday night, leading the entire Nashville SC team in a celebration honoring the late Liverpool and Portugal forward.
The gesture came after Mukhtar scored a dramatic 101st-minute penalty to give ten-man Nashville a 1-0 victory over Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer. Instead of celebrating alone, Mukhtar called his teammates to the sidelines where they all mimicked Jota’s iconic goal celebration, a moment that quickly went viral.
Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva tragically lost their lives in a car crash in Spain on July 3. The heartbreaking news has shaken the global football community, and tributes have poured in from across the world.
"It was the least we could do. Diogo was respected everywhere," Mukhtar told reporters after the game. "We wanted to show that the football world is united in grief and support."
Earlier this week, tributes were also paid by Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe in the Club World Cup after scoring decisive goals for Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid respectively. Both players mimicked Jota’s celebration as a sign of respect.
Nashville SC will return to action next Thursday when they face DC United in the quarter-finals of the US Open Cup.