At the 2023 World Cup
“Phone home”: That’s behind Alexandra Popp’s “ET” goal celebration
Alexandra Popp also showed the “phone home” goal celebration after her 2-0 win over Morocco
© William West / AFP
One hand as a phone, the other pointing upwards: Alexandra Popp celebrated her two goals against Morocco in the World Cup opener with this gesture. After the final whistle, she explained this gesture emotionally.
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The reasons for their sentimentality, Popp said late in the evening (local time) during the press conference, “I don’t have to say them”. But it was obvious that she was thinking of her dead father that evening. In front of 27,256 spectators in the Albert Park stadium, which was not sold out, the striker was the outstanding player with the first two German goals at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand (11th and 39th minutes). The 32-year-old from Wolfsburg already made the gesture of celebration at the 2022 European Championships in England – in reference to the classic film about the extraterrestrial “.ET”, who was stranded on earth and wanted to “phone home”.
When she was substituted late (83rd), the German fans in the stadium cheered – they would be happy to see Alexandra Popp’s “ET-Jubel” more often at the World Cup.