Football fans around the world were left speechless after one of the strangest — and most talked-about — goal celebrations in recent Premier League history. During Manchester City’s recent home game, Erling Haaland and Phil Foden stunned the crowd and set social media ablaze when they suddenly began eating fruit on the pitch moments after their team scored. The surreal scene has since gone viral, sparking confusion, laughter, and a flood of memes across every platform imaginable.
It all unfolded at the Etihad Stadium under the floodlights. Manchester City had just found the back of the net, and as fans erupted in celebration, all eyes suddenly turned to Haaland and Foden. Instead of the usual chest bumps, hugs, or elaborate goal dances, the two stars pulled out pieces of fruit — reportedly apples — and took bites right there on the field. Cameras captured the moment in stunning detail: Haaland looking dead serious as he bit into his apple, while Foden grinned beside him, seemingly trying not to laugh.
At first, fans thought it might be some kind of prank. But when the clip hit the internet, it instantly became one of the most talked-about sports moments of the week. Twitter (now X) exploded with reactions. Some fans joked that Haaland and Foden were starting a “fruit-based diet celebration,” while others claimed it was a hidden message — maybe a jab at rival teams, or even a clever sponsorship tease.
“Is this a message to eat healthy? Or did they just decide to go full caveman mode?” one fan wrote. Another posted: “Only Haaland would score a goal and immediately eat an apple like he’s in a Greek myth.” The memes came fast and furious — photoshops of Haaland as Adam from the Garden of Eden, or Foden holding a fruit basket on the pitch.
But not everyone was laughing. Some critics called the act “disrespectful” and “unprofessional,” arguing that it took attention away from the team’s performance. Others thought it was a planned stunt. One journalist from The Sun claimed that Manchester City’s nutrition staff had been experimenting with a new energy protocol — giving players fruit during breaks to maintain blood sugar levels. If that’s true, Haaland and Foden may have just taken it to another level — and turned a fitness experiment into a global meme.
Still, knowing Haaland’s eccentric sense of humor, many believe this was 100% intentional. The Norwegian striker has always enjoyed doing things his own way — from his robotic celebrations to his deadpan interviews. “Haaland doesn’t just score goals,” one commentator said on Sky Sports, “he creates moments.” And this one, whether genius or madness, might be one of his funniest yet.
Meanwhile, Foden seemed to enjoy every second of the chaos. After the match, when reporters asked him about the apple incident, he simply laughed and said, “You’ll have to ask Erling about that one.” Haaland, on the other hand, avoided direct questions, cryptically replying with, “Sometimes you just need a bite.” The vague response only fueled more speculation and conspiracy theories among fans.
By the end of the night, clips of the “fruit celebration” had garnered millions of views online. Even rival fans couldn’t help but comment, with one Liverpool supporter tweeting, “Say what you want about City, but they’re literally eating teams alive now.”
Whether it was a spontaneous moment of fun, a hidden message, or simply Haaland being Haaland, the incident has already earned its place in Premier League folklore. It reminded everyone that football, for all its money and seriousness, still has room for pure, unscripted chaos.
As memes continue to flood social media and fans dissect every angle of the bizarre celebration, one thing is certain: Erling Haaland and Phil Foden have just redefined what it means to ‘feast’ on the pitch — quite literally.
