The death of Akira Toriyama, announced this Friday, leaves a great void for millions of fans who grew up with Dragon Ball. A look back at the times when the world of football has made reference to the manga.
Kamé Hamé Ha!
Son Goku’s signature technique – the first he mastered and also the most exploited – the Kamé Hamé Ha has been used in celebration on numerous occasions by several footballers, including Wissam Ben Yedder, an unconditional fan of the manga. André-Pierre Gignac and Harvey Elliott have also distinguished themselves by using the technique invented by “Tortue Géniale”.
Aubameyang’s instant move
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang used Son Goku’s famous instant movement technique for his celebration, after a double with Barça in a victory against Real Madrid (4-0), at Santiago Bernabeu. The Gabonese even held a small crystal ball in his left hand when he “teleported”.
The Marseillais is definitely a big fan of the manga since he sports a tattoo of Goku and Gohan on his right thigh.
Newcastle player Miguel Almiron completed the fusion of Son Goten and Trunks with teammate Josef Martinez while they were playing for Atlanta United. A celebration that has become customary for both players.
The two players were then imitated by the two brothers Niko and Inaki Williams from Athletic Bilbao.
When fans pay homage to Dragon Ball
Among the supporters, too, we find references galore. The Paris-Saint-Germain tifo during the clasico against Marseille on February 25, 2018 caused a sensation. The Auteuil stand displayed a huge portrait of Son Goku, dressed in his traditional outfit revisited with the PSG logo. The opportunity for Parisian supporters to ask their players to “go get the seventh crystal ball”, in reference to the seventh French championship title that PSG could win.
The Parisians repeated the operation on October 27, 2019, still against Marseille, this time representing the dragon Shenron dressed in a red and blue PSG scarf and, at his feet, seven crystal balls. In the manga, they offer the power to grant a wish when brought together and Shenron is summoned. Here, each of the balls bore a date on which PSG won a French championship title.
The supporters of the capital’s club may have inspired the fans of Wydad de Casablanca, who deployed three huge tifos in homage to Dragon Ball on the occasion of Simba’s reception on April 28.
KRC Genk supporters also impressed last October when they hosted Ferencvaros in the Europa Conference League, setting up a tifo of Vegeta in “Super Saiyan Blue” mode.
If professional footballers were Dragon Ball characters, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo would probably play Son Goku and Vegeta. The two Saiyans have built a historic rivalry, like the one between those who shared all the Ballon d’Or between 2008 and 2017. Lionel Messi is to Goku what Cristiano is to Vegeta: first, they have been the two best footballers in the world for more than a decade, like Goku and Vegeta, who are, until the arrival of Dragon Ball Super (sequel to Dragon Ball Z, itself a sequel to Dragon Ball ), the strongest in the universe at the end of the manga.
If some people vulgarly attribute Pulga’s talent to something innate and that of CR7 to the fruit of his work and perseverance, the same goes for Akira Toriyama’s two darlings: Vegeta constantly sought to achieve strength of his rival through incessant training when Son Goku – although also keen on training – relies more on his instinct and his feelings.
Finally, the parallel extends to personalities. If Ronaldo can be considered as the alter ego with overflowing ambition and in need of recognition, wishing only one thing, to surpass Son Goku, Lionel Messi can be compared to Goku by his calm, his purity in the game and its trajectory: a prodigy that we awaited on the roof of the world.
Social networks, abyss of references mixing Dragon Ball and football
Known for their limitless imagination, many social media creators have depicted players as Dragon Ball characters.
2024-03-08 18:44:31
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