Wout Weghorst recently went viral on social media after making a series of intricate hand movements on the field before the second half of a football game of Eredivisie. The unusual gestures perplexed fans, with many videos quickly circulating online and prompting jokes that the FC Twente striker had completely lost his mind.
The moment came during FC Twente’s Eredivisie match against league leaders PSV. Weghorst was seen making rapid finger movements and unusual hand gestures just before the second half started. Spectators filmed the sequence and shared it on social media, where it quickly became a joke.
Many viewers misinterpreted the movements as a strange or bizarre ritual, unaware that Weghorst was using them as part of his preparation.
As one fan commented on X that he was doing this to get huge attention from cameras,
Even more nuanced: Without Weghorst, there’s an extra biblical program at work here. He thought the cameras were already gone, saw that he was still being filmed, and then asked for it not to be used.
The striker eventually had the ideal response on the field. Weghorst scored the equalizer in the 79th minute to help FC Twente fight back against PSV. Twente went on to win 3-2, putting the bizarre-looking warm-up in a completely different context after the final whistle.
Following the reaction to the video, renowned neuropsychology professor Erik Scherder explained the reasoning behind Weghorst’s movements. Scherder associated the exercises with neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt and reorganize by forming and strengthening neural connections. He explained that hand and finger movements require significant brain activity because they involve precise coordination of multiple nervous system areas.
The hands and fingers also occupy a disproportionately large area of the brain’s primary motor cortex, as illustrated by the cortical homunculus. As a result, exercises involving complex hand movements may necessitate a high level of concentration and motor control.
Weghorst used these movements as a cognitive and motor warm-up in addition to his physical preparation. Asymmetric or cross-lateral movements can necessitate coordination on both sides of the body, activating motor areas and facilitating communication between the brain’s hemispheres via the corpus callosum.
This type of preparation can help athletes increase alertness and activate their nervous systems prior to competition. It may also include spatial awareness, coordination, and reaction processing, all of which are necessary during a fast-paced football game. A striker is constantly required to process information quickly, from tracking the movement of a cross to adjusting his position around defenders and reacting to loose balls.
That made Weghorst’s viral moment more than just a strange series of gestures.
However, fans misinterpreted his gestures as him playing rock, paper, and scissors instead of training his mental nervous system.
It's either than or Wout Weghorst is playing a game of rock, paper, scissors with himself, and losing. 🤣🤣 https://t.co/iLGQMtBlks pic.twitter.com/KZHypxOHdy
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) September 21, 2026
What appeared strange to viewers online was actually part of a deliberate form of mental and physical preparation.
His equalizer in the 79th minute, followed by Twente’s 3-2 comeback, made the video even more memorable. Instead of being mocked for his pre-match routine, Weghorst delivered the ideal on-field response: preparation followed by a decisive contribution when his team needed it the most.
