Football is considered a very physical, passionate, driven, and, at times, violent sport. It was traditionally, and still today, considered a “masculine” sport, and everything that does not fit under that gender role is criticized, rejected, and attacked. It has often implemented the systematic repression of homosexuality and homosexuales, whose visibility is still ballasted. Furthermore, homophobic insults, shouts, and attitudes have been allowed in the stadium for years.

Paradoxically, men’s football is the sport that demonstrates the most homoerotic attitudes in the playfull celebration of goals and games. It’s seen as normal that the celebration of goals is shown through kisses, hugs, caresses, groping, and other public displays of affection that, in another location, would be considered inappropriate, unmasculine, and having a homosexual connotation. In other contexts, a kiss on the mouth or grabbing someones butt between two men would undoubtedly be considered gay.

Below is a list of some of the best kisses in the history of professional football:

 

1. 1993: The kiss between Hristo Stoichkov and Ronald Koeman in the Primera Copa Europea of Barcelona.
2. 1996: The kiss between Claudio Caniggia and Diego Maradona when celebrating the Copa Libertadores
3. 2010: The kiss between Paul Scholes and Gary Nevill to mark the Manchester United goal against Machester City
4. 2015: The kiss between Ivan Rakitic and Daniel Carriço during the celebration of the last Europa League won by Sevilla
5. The kiss between the Colombian Mao Molina and the Argentine Mariano Tripodi celebrating a goal by the Brazilian Santos
6. 2009: The kiss between Brayan Beckeles and Orlin Peralta, celebrating a goal by the Honduran club Vida.
7. The kiss between Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach and Antonio Conte, coach of Juventus
8. 2004: The kiss between Wayne Rooney and Tomasz Radzinski
9. 2012: The kiss between Olivier Giroud and Mathieu Debuchy, players of the French national team to celebrate a goal in a friendly match  with Germany.
10. 2002: The kiss between Pedro Javi and Darko Kovacevic, celebrating the victory of Real Sociedad against Racing Santander
11. The kiss between Gianluigi and Igor Tudor
12. 2005: The kiss between Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard, celebrating the Champions League.
13. 1996: The kiss between Paul Gascoigne and Ally McCoist
14. 2005: ‘Toto’ Cornejo and Luis Tonelotto