A normal photo with a fan turned into one of the most curious moments of the international break. This is what happened to Mariano Diaz, the 1993-born Alavés striker, with a past at Real Madrid and part of the Dominican Republic, at the end of the match against Haiti.
The photo with the fan takes an unexpected turn
The Dominican Republic had just suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Haiti in the CONCACAF Nations League, but at the end of the match Mariano still stopped outside the stadium to greet the fans and take some photos.
It was during one of these photos that the unexpected happened. A fan approached the striker and, while they were both in front of the camera, surprised him with a kiss on the lips. At first, Mariano seemed surprised by the gesture, which he did not seem to be expecting. But the scene did not end there.
Mariano's reaction surprises everyone
After the initial moment of surprise, the striker chose to return the gesture. In the video that began circulating on social media, Mariano is seen approaching the fan again and kissing her, before returning to pose for photos with the other fans present.
It was this second moment that caught the attention of users. The video, initially published on social media on October 5, was republished in the following days by several international media outlets and continues to circulate several days after the match.
Que hace el loco de Mariano Díaz comiendose la boca con una fan que le ha pedido una photo? https://t.co/Ma2Pw0qosp
— morodelsur (@morodelsur) October 7, 2026
A moment that went viral after the loss
The episode, therefore, took place in a context that was not at all positive for the Dominican national team. Haiti won 4-1 and left Mariano and his teammates with very little reason to celebrate on the pitch. Outside the stadium, however, the striker continued to receive the support of the fans. Mariano is in fact one of the most popular players in the Caribbean national team, also thanks to his past at Real Madrid and his current experience with Alavés (3 goals and 3 assists in La Liga this season). The relationship with the Dominican public has become particularly strong since he chose to represent the national team due to his mother's origin.
And so, after an evening to forget in terms of the result, his name ended up in the spotlight for a completely different reason. Not a goal, not an assist, not even any action on the pitch: this time, Mariano was the protagonist of a curious encounter with a fan, filmed in just a few seconds and which quickly went viral. Now it remains to be seen whether or not the 33-year-old is in a romantic relationship and, if so, what was his partner's reaction...
