The Artistic Vision: Olivia Ema on Football's Creative Canvas

"The Beautiful Goal" is a series of articles where we explore the magnetic quality of football's most unforgettable moments. Through conversations with diverse voices, we examine what elevates certain goals beyond mere points on a scoreboard into something that resonates deeply with players and spectators alike.

From the rhythm of build-up play to the inevitable yet surprising crescendo of a perfect strike, Olivia Ema offers a fresh viewpoint on what makes certain goals transcend the scoresheet to become cultural touchstones. As a creative technologist and digital artist, she brings a distinctive perspective to the beautiful game. Her work with Veo on the People's Puskas project has utilized emerging technologies to highlight moments of brilliance that might otherwise go unseen, combining collage techniques, motion design, and 3D visualization to tell compelling stories about football's unsung moments.

In this interview, Ema reflects on the elements that make a goal beautiful, drawing parallels between a memorable strike and other art forms, while exploring how a player's personal style manifests in their movements and decision-making on the field. Her insights reveal how football, at its most compelling, becomes a canvas for human creativity, emotion, and the pursuit of excellence.

Olivia Ema, what is a beautiful goal?

To me, a beautiful goal is more than just scoring, it’s the build-up. It’s inspiring to watch a footballer in their flow state, it’s easy to see through players movements, it looks instinctual. A beautiful goal often feels inevitable yet unpredictable at the same time, in the moment everything aligned perfectly for that goal. 

Why do you think some goals are perceived as particularly beautiful – and does that imply that other goals are not?

I think some goals stand out because of the different ranges of skill and creativity involved. A beautiful goal overcomes obstacles, it's not just about getting the ball into the net, but how it gets there. I think that's why most can appreciate a great goal when we see it. The way a player adapts to pressure, demonstrating skill and a real desire to win, evokes something beyond the goal, something memorable and magnetic to watch. 

How do movement, rhythm, and composition factor into a goal’s aesthetics?

A great goal can take you on a journey. The way a player moves across the pitch, the buildup, the rhythm of the ball passes until the final strike, all contribute to the impact of a beautiful goal. Some players have a way of turning a game into a performance where the pitch becomes their stage and their movements tell a story. This makes a great football player memorable.

Are there parallels between great goals and other art forms?

I would liken a great goal to a dance sequence or a piece of cinema. The similarities being in the timing, tension building and release. All filled with a passion and a desire to make the moment worthwhile.

Do footballers have artistic styles? Can you give a notable example?

The greats in football are remembered for their style. They bring their personality to the pitch, and you can see it in the way they move, their decision-making, and even how they celebrate. Kylian Mbappé is a perfect example of a footballer who has left a lasting impression on me. 

I’ll never forget watching the 2022 World Cup, completely glued to the screen as Mbappé single-handedly carried France on his back against Argentina. His movements were electric, rough around the edges, driven by sheer determination to win. His goals felt like a crescendo, each one building on the last, turning the game into a masterpiece.

Some of the most celebrated goals have elements of chaos, unpredictability, and even imperfection. Can a goal be “too perfect” to be beautiful?

Perfection in football isn’t about flawlessness, it’s about moments that demonstrate human excellence, where skill, instinct and desire come together to make an unforgettable game. It's the unexpected and slightly chaotic, rough around the edges goals in particular that makes a goal feel unforgettable. 

The beauty in the game is not about execution but emotion.