Fortnite's Take The L Emote Made An Appearance In The World Cup Finals

The World Cup finals took place over the weekend, and even the grandest stage in professional sports is not immune to the ever-expanding Fortnite craze. One of the game's more popular emotes made an appearance, an especially harsh statement from France that Croatia should "take the L."

What you're seeing above is France's Antoine Griezmann celebrating a penalty kick goal with the "take the L" dance from Fortnite. While the popular battle royale game did not invent the dance, there's little questioning the inspiration for Griezmann's celebration given the popularity of the 100-player free-for-all. He's reportedly broken out the dance before, and we doubt this will be his last time he falls back on this particular razz, either.

It should also be noted that Fortnite dances have sprung up all over pop culture in recent months, with sports stars, celebrities and more referencing the game at all manner of events. But this is the World Cup finals we're talking about, one of the single biggest sporting events to draw viewers from across the globe every four years.

In case you missed the big match this weekend, France went on to claim a 4-2 win over Croatia, which at least didn't make Griezmann look like a fool for celebrating in this manner too early. Still, while Fortnite fans seem to be digging the sudden appearance of the dance during such a big event, others aren't too thrilled.

Celebrating goals in soccer is a time-honored tradition, usually boiling down to some sliding on your knees, hooting and hollering. Some players get more creative, though, including taunting the other team's fans or even pretending to snort the goal line. The thing about the "take the L" dance is that it just seems so mean-spirited, which has gotten many footy fans calling "bad form" on Griezmann's choice of gestures. In the dance, he grabs his crotch and kicks his legs back and forth while displaying his fingers in a large "L" on his forehead. You've probably seen it dozens of times in a round of Fortnite but, again, this is the World Cup finals.

Whether or not you thought the dance took things a bit too far, Griezmann's choice of celebrations at least goes a long way to show just how popular Fortnite has become. You know your game has made it big when some of the most celebrated athletes in the world are breaking out your dance routines.

And speaking of Fortnite, the buzz has only intensified this past week thanks to the launch of the game's highly anticipated fifth season. If you like emotes, this latest season includes a bunch of them, along with the usual assortment of new gear, skins, and even a map overhaul. It's still free to play on just about every platform known to man, so get out there and try for a "W," but be willing to "take the L."