Nations League 2026: Uproar over Israel star Saied Abu Farchi’s goal celebration as red card proves costly

The 20-year-old, who plays for Major League Soccer side Colorado Rapids, headed home in the 55th minute of Thursday’s Group B clash.

The youngster wheeled away in celebration before grabbing the corner flag and appearing to make a gun-firing gesture with it.

As a result, Bulgarian referee Martin Margaritov proceeded to show Abu Farchi a second yellow card, after booking him just four minutes earlier, turning the young forward from hero to villain in under a minute.

The striker looked perplexed by the decision to award him a red in what would turn out to be a turning point.

You can watch the controversial goal celebration above.

Football’s laws state a player can be booked for a goal celebration that acts in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory way.

And it comes in a week where Israel’s actions in Gaza have made football headlines, with a campaign for the Republic of Ireland to boycott their two upcoming matches.

The home and away games against the Irish side are anticipated to now go ahead in neutral venues.

And the football world was stunned by what they saw.

“How is he even questioning the red card for this,” popular football account The 44 wrote on X.

“What on earth was he thinking?” another commented.

“Left the ref with no choice,” a third said.

However, others suggested he was instead using the corner flag as a pool cue.

“He wasn’t mimicking shots … he is celebrating like that in club football too and it is snooker cue,” Michael Elgort added.

“The snooker cue is his goal celebration,” another said.

The moment would prove costly as a 10-man Israel side went on to suffer a 3-1 defeat after late goals from Phillipp Mwene and Sasa Kalajdzic sealed all three points for Australia.

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