A beautiful moment was experienced last night at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, United States. With a score of 1-0 in favor of Panama, the Panamanian national team secured a spot in the finals of the Concacaf Nations League. The hero of the movie? A skillful Cecilio Waterman, who plays in the Chilean league and has become a trend not only for his goal but also for his enthusiastic celebration, running to hug the French football legend, Thierry Henry, who was present at the stadium.
With a lot of determination, the Panamanian team defeated the Americans in the 90th minute+4, with a goal by Waterman, who after scoring, ran off the field to hug the former French footballer who was commentating the game for CBS Sports.
What did the Panamanian player say to Thierry Henry during his celebration?
The exciting moment was witnessed by everyone in the stadium, and it was also captured by the cameras. The Panamanian, as he approached Thierry amidst stumbling and jumps, hurried to say to him: “You are my idol, you are my idol,” before embracing him in a big hug, joined by other players from the team. Henry responded by hugging Walterman back, with a smile on his face.
Before the match, the 33-year-old forward had commented in an interview published on the Concacaf Nations League Instagram account that it would be a privilege to have the jersey of the 47-year-old former player, a prominent figure in clubs like Arsenal and Barcelona, who now works in sports media after retiring. During that interview, he was told that Thierry would be at the match, to which Waterman responded amazed: "It would be nice to take a picture together. Imagine, an idol since childhood," he said with a big smile.
In addition to the viral hug after the Panama vs. United States match, Waterman gave his idol his jersey with the number 18 of the Panamanian national team, hoping that the Frenchman will also give him his Arsenal jersey.
Thierry commented that it was the best goal celebration he had ever seen in his life. He never imagined being a part of it. “I saw it in his eyes because I was very close. He was like in a trance. Thank God I understand Spanish when he said ‘You are my idol’. But it was special, wow,” he stated during the broadcast on the Paramount+ platform, to which the Panamanian footballer was also invited.