The Enzo Fernandez celebration meme, explained
One familiar shot. An unexpected person. Explore the format behind the trend and make a version of your own.
On this page
The Enzo Fernandez celebration meme takes the TV shot of Enzo Fernández cupping his ears at England fans in the 2026 World Cup semi-final and puts someone else in his place with AI. It took off in October 2026, when edits of Taylor Swift, Max Verstappen, Dua Lipa, Lula and BTS’s V doing the “Topo Gigio” spread on TikTok, Instagram and X[1,3,4]. Now people are making their own.
For the meaning of the gesture and the origin of the Topo Gigio name, see our page about the Enzo Fernandez celebration.
Where the meme comes from
The clip is from Argentina’s 2-1 win over England in the World Cup semi-final on 15 July 2026. Five minutes from time, Enzo Fernández equalised from outside the box, ran toward the England fans and held both open hands behind his ears [8,9,10]. In the broadcast shot he pushes his lips out at the crowd, then throws his arms up as his teammates arrive. Lautaro Martínez headed the winner in stoppage time [8].
Fans copied the gesture before the AI edits appeared: the next day an Argentine amateur golfer copied it at the British Open [11].
How the Enzo Fernandez meme became an AI trend
Three months later, people began using AI to put other people into the clip. By 12 October people on X were sharing an AI edit of Ariana Grande doing the celebration [5], and a YouTube upload carries the title “Ariana Grande doing Enzo Fernandez celebration vs. England” [6]. On 13 October the Argentine sports channel TyC Sports posted a compilation on Instagram as “el meme viral de Enzo Fernández”, the viral Enzo Fernández meme. It had about 544,000 likes when we checked on 17 October [2].
Verge Magazine’s explainer describes the format: AI video tools swap Enzo for celebrities and musicians but keep the gesture, the camera angle and the atmosphere, and the clips are shared as edits, not as real footage[1]. In Portuguese, TikTok has a search page for “como colocar qualquer um na comemoração do Enzo Fernandez”: how to put anyone into Enzo Fernández’s celebration [7].
Who is in the celebrity edits
- BTS’s V (Taehyung), Taylor Swift, Max Verstappen, Dua Lipa and Lula, Brazil’s president: fan accounts named them in the TyC Sports compilation [3].
- Ariana Grande, in an edit shared on X and YouTube [5,6].
All of these are AI-generated. None of those people did the celebration.
Why the Enzo Fernandez celebration meme works
The on-screen score, floodlights and teammates running in make the shot recognisable at a glance. The gesture conveys a familiar message: I can’t hear you now. Putting someone unexpected on a World Cup pitch creates the joke. The clip suits social media: about eight seconds, a clear gesture and the teammates’ arrival to finish the scene.
How to make your own Enzo Fernandez meme
There are three routes, compared step by step in our guide to making the celebration video with AI: a user-made CapCut template, a prompt in an image-to-video tool such as Dreamina or Higgsfield, or one photo on Enzo Fernandez AI. Our tool keeps the original broadcast shot and puts you in Enzo’s place, in your own clothes, in an 8-second, 9:16 video for TikTok: US$3.99 a video, less per video in packs. Each video uses 10 credits.
Use your own photo, or a friend’s with their permission; the video service blocks celebrity photos. Some ideas for who to put in it:
- Yourself, as the reply in the group chat after your team wins.
- A friend who is in on the joke, for their birthday.
- Your five-a-side keeper after a clean sheet, if they say yes.
FAQ
What is the Enzo Fernandez celebration meme?
AI edits of the broadcast shot of Enzo Fernández’s “Topo Gigio” celebration against England at the 2026 World Cup, with someone else doing the gesture in his place. It spread on TikTok, Instagram and X in October 2026.
Who is in the Enzo Fernandez AI edits?
The compilation TyC Sports posted on 13 October 2026 was reported to include BTS’s V (Taehyung), Taylor Swift, Max Verstappen, Dua Lipa and Lula. An Ariana Grande edit also went round on X and YouTube.
Are the celebrity videos real?
No. They are AI edits of the match footage; none of those people did the celebration.
Can I make one with a celebrity’s photo?
Not on Enzo Fernandez AI. The video service blocks celebrity photos. Only upload a photo of yourself or someone who has given permission. With your own photo, you get the same broadcast shot with you in it.
Where does the gesture come from?
It is the Topo Gigio, the Argentine way of saying “I can’t hear you now”, made famous in football by Juan Román Riquelme in 2001. Enzo Fernández aimed it at the England fans after his equaliser.
Sources
- Verge Magazine, 13 Oct 2026: Memes explained: the Enzo Fernández celebration. vergemagazine.co.uk/memes-explained-the-enzo-fernandez-celebration/
- TyC Sports on Instagram, 13 Oct 2026: “¡El meme viral de Enzo Fernández!” (about 544,000 likes on 17 Oct 2026). www.instagram.com/p/DecUZh_G1CN/
- @VonTidal on X, 14 Oct 2026: TyC Sports’ Instagram posts AI edits of Taehyung, Taylor Swift, Max Verstappen, Dua Lipa and Lula. x.com/VonTidal/status/2110206254773920071
- @NoExtraFeelings on X, 14 Oct 2026: Enzo Fernández’s celebration against England has become the internet’s latest meme. x.com/NoExtraFeelings/status/2110276466143580365
- @cameramayn on X, 12 Oct 2026: An Ariana Grande edit of the Enzo Fernandez celebration. x.com/cameramayn/status/2109677439253397513
- YouTube, accessed 17 Oct 2026: Ariana Grande doing Enzo Fernandez celebration vs. England. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU0e_RXuMsI
- TikTok, accessed 17 Oct 2026: Search page: como colocar qualquer um na comemoração do Enzo Fernandez. www.tiktok.com/discover/como-colocar-qualquer-um-na-comemora%C3%A7%C3%…
- AP (via WCAX), 15 Jul 2026: Argentina beat England 2-1 to reach the World Cup final. www.wcax.com/2026/07/15/argentina-advances-world-cup-final-by-beating-…
- Infobae, 15 Jul 2026: Enzo Fernández’s late equaliser against England and his celebration. www.infobae.com/deportes/2026/07/15/el-golazo-de-enzo-fernandez-a-5-mi…
- La Nación, 15 Jul 2026: What Enzo Fernández’s gesture against England means. www.lanacion.com.ar/deportes/que-significa-el-festejo-de-enzo-fernande…
- AP (via NY1), 16 Jul 2026: Argentine golfer at the British Open copies Enzo’s ear-cup celebration. ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/ap-top-news/2026/07/16/argentine-golfer-at-br…
Sources accessed on 17 October 2026.