Egypt hero Emam Ashour walks the Billionaire Strut, like WWE’s Vince McMahon
The Egyptian celebrated his return in the 1-1 draw with Belgium at Seattle with the iconic celebration exactly one year after he had broken his collarbone in Miami
Egypt's Emam Ashour, left, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the World Cup Group G soccer match between Belgium and Egypt in Seattle, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Exactly a year to the day on June 15, 2025, Egypt’s Emam Ashour had been stretchered off to a hospital in Miami after fracturing his collarbone in a Club World Cup game against Messi’s Inter Miami. Playing for Egyptian club Al Ahly, he had left the field in tears. So when he opened the scoring for the Pharaohs against Belgium at Seattle, Ashour completed an emotional turnaround — one he celebrated with what’s his favourite celebration — the ‘Billionaire Strut’, that traces its origins to the most American of things that goes global — WWE.
Made famous by wrestling mania’s comedic conductor, the incredulous impressario Vince McMahon in 1990s, the Billionaire Strut is an exaggerated, over-the-top “Me-Me-Myself” entrance into an arena that fakes swagger, arrogance, supreme self-importance, and theatrical hubris. That is to say, it self-effaces America, and was used by the wrestler-turned-promoter McMahon to poke fun at corporate suits when he approached the ring. The louder the boos, the happier was Vince.
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