A snapshot that could epitomize Liverpool’s victorious 2024/25 Premier League campaign: Mohamed Salah, grinning from ear to ear, celebrating a goal in front of the Anfield faithful by snapping a selfie.
Salah’s selfies have been nearly as regular as his net-busters this season. A quick flick through his Instagram feed reveals countless shots of him alongside his squad mates in the locker room post-match.
These images offer Reds fans a glimpse into the camaraderie behind closed doors and the joy of their talisman, who has pledged another two years to the club. But Sunday’s selfie took it up a notch. After slicing inside onto his reliable left boot and blasting into the corner, Salah sprinted over to the supporters to revel in the moment.
He was passed a mobile and promptly snapped a picture with the ecstatic fans in the backdrop. Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville speculated that the phone belonged to a supporter, painting a heartwarming narrative.
However, it wasn’t long before this charming notion was debunked by more sceptical onlookers. They highlighted that Salah had received the phone from a Liverpool staff member. More importantly, they noted that the device was a Google Pixel – a Liverpool sponsor.
This didn’t prevent the image from spreading like wildfire. Salah and Liverpool shared it on Instagram, where it has garnered 1.7m likes. On X, it has been viewed a staggering 14m times.
Salah got candid with BBC Sport about his iconic selfie celebration. He said “At the beginning of the season I always take selfies with players [who score], so for this one I said ‘OK, I have to think of something special because it’s a picture that’s going to be there forever. Yeah, I worked my mind a little bit around ideas and it was fine.”
(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Now, Mirror Football has discovered that Salah didn’t plan the now-famous celebration in advance; it wasn’t an attempt at advertising but rather the result of quick-witted work from a club photographer.
BBC Sport points out that Salah seemingly didn’t contravene any FA rules with his celebration, taking note he wasn’t cautioned for holding up the game. Nonetheless, the selfie has stoked quite the debate among the worlds of sports marketing and sponsorship, leaving experts divided over whether it was smart or if it undermined the authentic joy found in unrehearsed jubilance.
One thing is clear, these marketing strategies are paying off. Despite Liverpool reporting an annual pre-tax loss of $76 million up to May 31 2024, its commercial income actually rose by $48 million to hit a record high of $412 million, largely due to growth in partnerships and retail.
Discussing partnerships with UPS, Peloton, Google and Orion, Liverpool’s chief commercial officer, Ben Latty, told the Liverpool Echo earlier this month: “They put their trust and faith in us, they have marketing budgets, that they can also quite easily go and spend elsewhere, so it is up to us to make sure that we are giving them a return on investment in terms of their investment into the club and delivering on what they set us out to deliver. It’s so competitive out there, not only in sports but in marketing in general.”
