Liverpool star Mohamed Salah highlighted the power of commercial partnerships in modern football with an iconic celebration on Sunday.
After scoring the club’s fourth goal in its 5-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur and securing Liverpool’s 20th league title, Salah posed for a selfie with Liverpool fans. The image quickly went viral, amassing over 10 million views across social media.
At first, it appeared that Salah took a phone from a supporter in Liverpool’s famous Kop stand. However, it was later revealed that the phone was provided by a club photographer.
The phone in question was a Google Pixel, which has been Liverpool FC’s official mobile phone partner since 2023.
At the time the partnership was announced, Ben Latty, Commercial Director at Liverpool FC, said: “We are incredibly proud to be announcing this partnership between Liverpool FC and Google Pixel. At LFC, it is important to us that we are not only partnering with the biggest and most exciting brands, but that the brands we are partnering with allow us to offer something of real value to our supporters.
“We are looking forward to seeing how over the course of the partnership we will work together to give fans of our men’s and women’s teams exclusive content and experiences that will bring them closer to the game they love.”
While neither the Merseyside club nor the tech company could have predicted the spontaneous moment when the deal was initially signed, the partnership has created one of the most iconic celebrations and images in sports history.
There are several factors that add to the power of the image. The most important is the context of the game itself, the match that clinched the club’s 20th top-flight league title, putting Liverpool on par with rivals Manchester United.
There’s also the story of Salah, who had been the subject of intense transfer rumours earlier in the season before recently committing his future to the club by signing an extension. Additionally, the image captures hundreds, if not thousands, of fans’ faces in the Kop, etching them forever into the club’s history.
As noted above, there was no way Google could have predicted such a moment. However, it can now use it to its full advantage.
The organic partnership activation is a perfect advertisement for the phone and would have cost a hefty price had it been staged or planned.
Furthermore, the authenticity of the moment, a football star celebrating with fans using a Google Pixel device, aligns with the brand’s wider marketing strategy focused on real experiences.
With this celebration already viral, Google now has a valuable asset to amplify its messaging, strengthen its association with Liverpool FC’s passionate global fanbase and demonstrate the capabilities of the Pixel in the most authentic way possible.
