10 August 2026
Iranian defender Nader Mohammadi, who plays for Spartak Kostroma in the Russian Premier League, created a goal in a spectacular fashion that set social media ablaze and became the talk of the football world.
The extraordinary moment came during the fifth round of the Russian Premier League (First Division), in which Spartak Kostroma secured a thrilling victory, overturning a deficit against SKA Khabarovsk to win 3-1 and climb to second place in the standings.
In the 83rd minute, with Spartak leading 2-1, the team was awarded a throw-in in SKA Khabarovsk's half. Mohammadi stepped up to take it with a rare display of skill. He sprinted forward, executed a complete acrobatic backflip over his head with the ball in his grasp, and sent it as a precise cross into the penalty area, resembling a free kick.
The ball reached the SKA Khabarovsk penalty area, where striker Sergei Bogroev rose to meet it, heading the ball into the net with a single touch.
While this style of throw-in execution may seem unusual in Russian football, for Mehmedi it's a well-honed technique he's accustomed to. As Spartak Kostroma's manager, Roman Berezovsky, revealed after the match, the new signing had also showcased this skill in the previous game.
