It’s that time of year again, when the leaves start to change color, the air gets a little crisper, and soccer fans around the world gear up for another season of international competition.
For many people, soccer is more than just a sport. It’s a passion, a way of life. And as the games get underway, it’s natural to look for inspiration from some of the best minds in the game.
That’s why we’ve put together this collection of inspiring soccer quotes from some of the greatest players and coaches in history. So whether you’re gearing up for your own season or just looking for a little motivation, these quotes have got you covered. Enjoy!
Soccer quotes
1.) “Soccer is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win.”
2.) “I’ve never scored a goal in my life without getting a pass from someone else.”
3.) “I am not a perfectionist, but I like to feel that things are done well.”
4.) “Many people say I’m the best women’s soccer player in the world. I don’t think so. And because of that, someday I just might be.”
5.) “We must have had 99 percent of the game. it was the other three percent that cost us the match.”
6.) “The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.”
7.) “There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.”
8.) “The secret is to believe in your dreams; in your potential that you can be like your star, keep searching, keep believing and don’t lose faith in yourself.”
9.) “A penalty is a cowardly way to score.”
10.) “Good soccer players need not be titans sculpted by Michelangelo. In soccer, ability is much more important than shape, and in many cases, skill is the art of turning limitations into virtues.”
11.) “Your love makes me strong, your hate makes me unstoppable!”
12.) “Everything is practice.”
13.) “The vision of a champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when nobody else is looking.”
14.) “Football is the ballet of the masses.”
15.) “Becoming a footballer is only the first half of the silent prayer a kid offers up to the sky or confides to his teacher in a primary school essay. The second part is the name of the team he wants to play for.”
16.) “God gives gifts to everyone, some can write, some can dance. He gave me the skill to play football and I am making the most of it.”
17.) “Most of us are in this more than just for playing soccer. We’re in it for the bigger goal – to move it along for the next generation.”
18.) “The rules of soccer are very simple, basically it is this: if it moves, kick it. If it doesn’t move, kick it until it does.”
19.) “The ball is round, the game lasts ninety minutes, and everything else is just theory.”
20.) “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”
21.) “You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.”
22.) “I don’t believe skill was, or ever will be, the result of coaches. It is a result of a love affair between the child and the ball.”
23.) “Soccer isn’t the same as Bach or Buddhism. But it is often more deeply felt than religion, and just as much a part of the community’s fabric, a repository of traditions.”
24.) “When good soccer happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”
25.) “I would rather be called strong than pretty. I would rather be called muscular than skinny. I would rather be called athletic than beautiful. I would rather be called a soccer player than a girl.”
26.) “The rules of soccer are very simple, basically it is this: if it moves, kick it. If it doesn’t move, kick it until it does.”
27.) “If TV were only an invention to broadcast soccer, it would be justified.”
28.) “You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.”
29.) “It’s hard to beat someone who never quits.”
30.) “In football as in watchmaking, talent and elegance mean nothing without rigor and precision.”
Football quotes
31.) “Everything I know about morality and the obligations of men, I owe it to football (soccer).”
32.) “Whereas fanatic is usually a pejorative word, a Fan is someone who has roots somewhere.”
33.) “Soccer isn’t the same as Bach or Buddhism. But it is often more deeply felt than religion, and just as much a part of the community’s fabric, a repository of traditions.”
34.) “Keep working even when no one is watching.”
35.) “In his life, a man can change wives, political parties or religions, but he cannot change his favourite soccer team.”
36.) “If Earth had a soccer team, everyone on Earth would wear the same jersey to support it. There’d be no them, there’d only be us.”
37.) “Everything I know about morality and the obligations of men, I owe it to football (soccer).”
38.) “Maybe they hate me because I’m too good.”
39.) “I think there are a lot of things that soccer does in the communities that transcend the soccer field.”
40.) “Discipline over ability wins every time.”
41.) “I learned all about life with a ball at my feet”
42.) “I don’t have time for hobbies. At the end of the day, I treat my job as a hobby. It’s something I love doing.”
43.) “The players are writing a beautiful page of French football history.”
44.) “That’s the beauty of sport. Sometimes you laugh, sometimes you cry”
45.) “Maybe…Destiny is finally starting to make its move.”
46.) “Take your victories, whatever they might be, cherish them, use them, but don’t settle for them.”
47.) “When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success.”
48.) “Tactically, the coach did a perfect job yesterday, so we know we will be fully prepared.”
49.) “Football is a game played with arms, legs and shoulders but mostly from the neck up.”
50.) “We go back for those left behind, don’t we, Golden? -Lucy Littlehouse”
51.) “When you win, you don’t get carried away. But if you go step by step, with confidence, you can go far.”
52.) “Every time I went away I was deceiving my mom. I’d tell her I was going to school but I’d be out on the street playing football. I always had a ball on my feet.”
53.) “I always look forward to playing for my national team, especially at major tournaments.”
54.) “The ball is round, the game lasts ninety minutes, and everything else is just theory.”
55.) “The world is short on finishers. FINISH.”
56.) “The thing about football – the important thing about football – is that it is not just about football.”
57.) “The first 90 minutes are the most important.”
58.) “People in football love to talk about mental strength. Well, I’m the strongest dude you’re ever going to meet.”
59.) “If you’re attacking, you don’t get as tired as when you’re chasing.”
60.) “You think soccer is just a game? Well then, you’ve never played it. -Golden”
Final thoughts
Soccer is more than a physical game. It’s a mental one as well. The quotes we’ve shared in this blog post should inspire you to push through the tough times and continue working hard to improve your skills. Remember, if you don’t give up, you can’t lose. Are there any other soccer quotes that have inspired or motivated you? Share them with us in the comments below!