Soccer is a sport that transcends sport. It is a global phenomenon, and for many people, it is a beacon of hope that constantly burns on their horizon. The following collection of motivational soccer quotes aims to give a hefty dose of inspiration to those that need a little pick-me-up.
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No sport has more fairytale stories than soccer. It is a game that has given everlasting hope to those living in poverty for generations. With a ball at their feet, children can forget about the problems and the harsh reality of life. For as long as they have the energy, they can become their idols. The chance of escaping the slums is the golden carrot they all chase.
Firstly, soccer is an individual motivator. However, at the same time, soccer unifies communities. It creates teams and breeds bonds between players and fans alike. It is a team game not just in terms of participation but also with regards to supporters.
The following inspirational soccer quotes are not just for those hoping to rise above their parents’ station but rather for everybody. That’s the great thing about quotes. Anybody can use them, and, more often than not, their message can apply to any number of situations.
The Importance of Football Quotes
Quotes hold a position of importance in modern society. We live in a world driven by stress and the need for instant reactions and results. Mental health is becoming a grander concern, and people’s awareness of the pressures of life is growing. The use of not just soccer quotes but any quotes or sayings plays a considerable role in motivating and inspiring people from all walks of life.
Sure, reading a quote may make them seem like nothing more than a short sentence or a statement. It’s read in seconds, and that’s it.
However, a quote is not something that is there merely to be read. Rather, it is something uttered either when alone or to a group. It’s a catalyst. Moreover, quotes create a groundswell of motivation. They can lift our mood, and when we find ourselves lost or overwhelmed, they set up back on the right course.
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Soccer Quotes Are Nourishment for the Subconscious
Soccer quotes are caffeine for the soul. They nourish the subconscious and give us that boost to sit up straight and carry on. After all, we hear a lot about mind over matter and the power of positivity. Well, quotes and soccer sayings are precisely the right fuel to keep those motivational fires burning.
Rocky Balboa had Mickey as the angel on his shoulder, always ready to whisper in his ear. Likewise, sports fans have soccer quotes. They rely on them in times of need and draw power from them the same way others take control through reading self-help books or religion.
In many ways, motivational soccer sayings are miniature self-help books. They serve a purpose, and for those that are tuned in to it, they are invaluable. To others, they are merely words on a page.
So without further waffle from me, let’s take a look at the list of the only soccer quotes you are going to need to pull you through even the darkest of days.
Motivational Soccer Quotes for All Occasions
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Sometimes, all it takes is a motivational word or two to break a barren spell. Perhaps a few words from a coach to help you find your rhythm out on the pitch. Maybe you just need to find some extra impetus to stand up and drag your ass to the gym or out for that run you’ve been promising you would take for the last six weeks. Whatever the need for then, motivational soccer quotes are a powerful weapon to own.
Motivational quotes talk about dedication and the single-mindedness needed for true success. They instill into the subconscious mind the concept that nothing is free and that blood, sweat, and tears are required before you can truly reap the rewards.
“Anyone who sacrifices his dreams to reality is forever beaten.”
– Thomas Muller
11 Motivational Football Quotes
The following motivational soccer quotes will have you pumped up and ready to face adversity head-on. There is no substitute for hard work, and these inspiring words do the job of bringing that point home.
- “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.”
– Eduardo Galeano
- “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.”
– Andrea Pirlo
- “You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.”
– Lionel Messi
- “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.”
– Franklin Foer
- “When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success.”
– Diego Maradona
- “As a kid, you obviously dream of being a professional footballer. I would watch players like Ronaldo of Brazil and pretend to be him on the playground. But I don’t think about trying to become one of the best in the world or anything like that. I just play football.”
– Gareth Bale
- “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.”
– Neymar
- “I am constantly being asked about individuals. The only way to win is as a team. Football is not about one or two or three star players.”
– Pele
- “Play for the name on the front of the shirt, and they will remember the name on the back.”
– Tony Adams
- “It needs time. Nobody wants to hear it, but that’s the truth: if you want to have success in the future, you have to be ready to work now.”
– Jurgen Klopp
- “A champion is someone who does not settle for that day’s practice, that day’s competition, that day’s performance. They are always striving to be better. They don’t live in the past.”
– Briana Scurry
Funny Soccer Quotes for Kids
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All soccer quotes are not created equal. There is far more to a successful quote than something rousing or inspiring. Yes, inspiring soccer quotes are important, and they have a place on this list. However, there is something to be said for the short, entertaining quote. Those that lift the mood when dark clouds threaten the horizon. First and foremost, funny soccer sayings make you smile, and a smile can go a long way to breaking even the deepest of emotional funks.
“Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win.”
– Gary Lineker
10 Soccer Quotes for Kids
You will be giggling your way into a better mood with these chuckle-worthy soccer quotes for kids. It is a game, after all.
- “We must have had 99 percent of the game. it was the other three percent that cost us the match.”
– Ruud Gullit
- “We didn’t underestimate them. They were a lot better than we thought.”
– Sir Bobby Robson
- “Julian Dicks is everywhere. It’s like they have eleven Dicks on the field.”
– A commentator on Metro Radio.
- “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.”
– Phil Abraham.
- “It was like being in a foreign country.”
– Ian Rush, on the difficulties of adjusting to playing football and living in Italy.
- “I spent a lot of money on booze, birds, and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.”
– George Best
- “Alex Ferguson is the best manager I’ve ever had at this level. Well, he’s the only manager I’ve actually had at this level. But he’s the best manager I’ve ever had.”
– David Beckham
- “If you’re in the penalty area and don’t know what to do with the ball, put it in the net, and we’ll discuss the options later.”
– Bab Paisley
- “I like Balotelli: he’s even crazier than me. He can score a winner, then set fire to the hotel.”
– Zlatan Ibrahimovic
- “Our country has been through difficult experiences in terms of unity. Sport – football in particular – has the power to help that. It is a special feeling.”
– Gareth Southgate
Soccer Sayings for Rainy Days
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Not all inspirational soccer quotes need to be profound. Likewise, they do not necessarily need to be motivating to be inspiring. Rousing words are found not solely in the tone of their delivery but in the resonance of their echo. The following collection of quotes are a laid-back mixture of expressions that will give you pause for thought. When reflected upon, the inspiring nature of these words is powerful.
“In his life, a man can change wives, political parties or religions, but he cannot change his favourite soccer team.”
– Eduardo Galeano
10 Powerful Soccer Sayings
Take heart from the camaraderie that soccer brings and find peace in the comfort offered by being part of a team. Whether playing, supporting to applying it to the broader context of life, you are not alone. These powerful soccer sayings will engage your mind and stoke the fires of your will.
- “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.”
– Ronaldo
- “Five days shalt thou labor, as the Bible says. The seventh day is the Lord thy God’s. The sixth day is for football.”
– John Anthony Burgess Wilson
- “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.”
– Roy Keane
- “I just hate losing, and that gives you an extra determination to work harder.”
– Wayne Rooney
- “To say that these men paid their shillings to watch twenty-two hirelings kick a ball is merely to say that a violin is wood and catgut, and that Hamlet is so much paper and ink.”
– John Boynton Priestley
- “It seems that soccer tournaments create those relationships: people gathered together in pubs and living rooms, a whole country suddenly caring about the same event. A World Cup is the sort of common project that otherwise barely exists in modern societies.”
– Simon Kuper
- “The thing about football – the important thing about football – is that it is not just about football.”
– Terry Pratchett
- “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.”
– Landon Donovan
- “Young players need freedom of expression to develop as creative players… they should be encouraged to try skills without fear of failure.”
– Arsene Wenger
- “All good athletes make mistakes; the great ones learn to make that mistake only once.”
– Raul Lopez
Inspirational Soccer Quotes for Girls
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There can be no denying that women’s soccer is in the middle of a revolution. Popularity is rising, and moreover, the talent and skill on display rival that of their male cohorts. As a result, it is only fair that we have a section of quotes here for the ladies. This is not to segregate them but rather to show that there is such an abundance of motivational football quotes from women that they warrant their own spot on the list.
Firstly, these words talk of dedication and passion. Secondly, they capture the heart and drive required to rise above the critics and ignore the naysayers. These are powerful qualities to instill in men, women, and children alike.
“I worked on my weaknesses and made them my strengths.”
– Sydney Leroux
11 Soccer Quotes for Girls
This array of soccer quotes for girls are really for everybody. A wealth of information can be taken from these inspiring words to help you build a solid base for success.
- “Soccer is an art more central to our culture than anything the Arts Council deigns to recognize.”
– Germaine Greer
- “The vision of a champion is someone who is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion when nobody else is watching.”
– Mia Hamm
- “Keep working even when no one is watching.”
– Alex Morgan
- “Whenever people say ‘women’s soccer,’ I want to correct them to say ‘soccer.’ Every girl has had their sport diminished because they’re girls.”
– Alex Morgan
- “There’s no better feeling than stepping out on the field and stunning them all by doing what none of them thought you could do.”
– Ashlyn Harris
- “Surround yourself with good people, surround yourself with positivity and people who are going to challenge you to make you better. If you just kind of let yourself stay alone and be by yourself, the negative it is just not going to help you. You can control two things, your work ethic and your attitude about anything.”
– Ali Krieger
- “Alright, call me a tomboy. Tomboys get medals, tomboys win championships, and tomboys can fly. Oh. And tomboys aren’t boys.”
– Julie Foudy
- “I think women’s soccer is so important. Soccer is the biggest sport for little girls. It’s so important for us to give these girls a dream and something they can aspire to be.”
– Lauren Holiday
- “If you want to be a professional soccer player, if you want to make the national team, you have to do everything possible to work hard. You’ve got to put it number one.”
– Carli Lloyd
- “You have to be willing to accept the information, and you have to be willing to work hard. You have to be motivated to go to practice with an open mind, and you have to be willing to be criticized. Only you can do those things.”
– Brandi Chastain
- “You have to dream big and go for it. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and ignore those who try to bring you down. Never give up, no matter what – overcoming obstacles makes you stronger!”
– Shannon MacMillan
Famous Football Quotes from Soccer Legends
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Legends are not born. They are made. Hard work, the correct attitude, and a solid work ethic are what propel them to the upper echelons of their chosen field. When legends speak, the words they utter are overflowing with golden advice.
While the underlying theme of many soccer sayings may be the same, but it is the delivery that causes some famous quotes to resonate more than others. The following words come from the mouths of some of the very best players to ever lace up their boots.
“Some people think football [soccer] is a matter of life and death. I don’t like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.”
– Bill Shankly
10 Famous Soccer Quotes
Sit back and enjoy some famous soccer quotes from those that have played the game and reached the pinnacle. Their advice commands attention and can help right the course of even the most wayward son or daughter.
- “I am not a perfectionist, but I like to feel that things are done well. More important than that, I feel an endless need to learn, improve, and evolve, not only to please the coach and the fans but also to feel satisfied with myself. It is my conviction that there are no limits to learning and that it can never stop, no matter what our age.”
– Cristiano Ronaldo
- “The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.”
– Pelé
- “I have to keep working hard and playing well because I don’t like to be second or third: they’re the worst places to be. You would be proud, of course, because it means you’re on the way, but you want to finish first.”
– Paul Pogba
- “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.”
– Pelé
- “Nobody has enough talent to live on talent alone. Even when you have talent, a life without work goes nowhere.”
– Arsene Wenger
- “We had a good team on paper. Unfortunately, the game was played on grass.”
– Brian Clough
- “We always try to win until the very end. If we don’t, we congratulate the opponent. That’s what sport is about.”
– Pep Guardiola
- “I don’t need the best hairstyle or the best body. Just give me a ball at my feet, and I’ll show you what I can do.”
– Lionel Messi
- “Keep dreaming, even when people laugh at your dreams or tell you that they are impossible to achieve. Keep believing in yourself.”
– Tobin Heath
- “If you train badly, you play badly. If you work like a beast in training, you play the same way.”
– Pep Guardiola
Best Anonymous Football Quotes
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Not all soccer quotes come directly from the mouths of the greats. There are plenty of fans and followers of this religion-like sport who have their thoughts on the game. Just because these people have never taken to the field for an FA Cup game or touched the Wembly turf as they emerged from the tunnel, it doesn’t mean their words lack resonance.
“Life is like a game of soccer. You need goals. If there are no goals in your life then you can’t win.”
– Unknown Author
4 Good Soccer Quotes
The following collection of the best soccer quotes from anonymous sources carry with them a weight that cannot be denied.
- “To me, soccer is so much more than a ball and two goals; it connects people from all of the corners of the world.”
– Unknown Author - “Football is a game in which a handful of fit men run around for one and a half hours watched by millions of people who could really use the exercise.”
– Anonymous - “Practice like you’ve never won; perform like you’ve never lost.”
– Unknown - “A great soccer player is never content with their performance.”
– Anonymous
Profound Soccer Captions for Deep Thinkers
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There is a line of thought that says motivational soccer quotes need to be short and snappy things. Words that give an espresso-like burst of motivation for the mind.
However, there is a deeper level of quote. Those profound words linger and take a little time to filter through. Their meanings are powerful and often masked behind words made to make the audience think.
“I once cried because I had no shoes to play soccer, but one day, I met a man who had no feet.”
– Zinedine Zidane
12 Deep Soccer Captions
The following collection of soccer captions are deep and profound quotes. Words of advice that may not immediately be apparent but have a haunting quality. They linger in the mind, and slowly, their meaning seeps into the subconscious—drip-feeding the fires that burn and conjuring up a long-lasting motivation.
- “Back in the 1930s, when men with handlebar mustaches played football in long johns and tails, and the ball was a spherical clod of bitumen, did fans weep in the stands when their team lost? No. They limited their responses to a muttered ‘blast’ or a muted ‘hurrah’ before going home to smoke a pipe and lean on the mantelpiece.”
– Charlie Brooker
- “Soccer and basketball are the only mainstream sports that truly plug into the modern-pulse of a dot-com society. Soccer is perfectly suited for a country of the hamster-treadmill pace, the remote-control zap, and the national attention-deficit of two 45-minute halves. While basketball is a game where the clock never stops, with no commercial interruptions, the final whistle blows in less than two hours. It is a fluid game of systemized chaos that, no matter how tightly scripted by coaches, cannot be regulated any more than information can be truly controlled on the Internet.”
– Jere Longman
- “When I go to the press conference before the game, in my mind, the game has already started…”
– Jose Mourinho
- “At a young age, winning is not the most important thing… the important thing is to develop creative and skilled players with good confidence.”
– Arsene Wenger
- “I’m attracted to soccer’s capacity for beauty. When well played, the game is a dance with a ball.”
– Eduardo Galeano
- “The wonderful thing about soccer is, a football is a perfectly round object, and it doesn’t make mistakes. The player using it makes mistakes. And the more you use it, the less mistakes you make.”
– Craig Johnston
- “I see football as an art, and all players are artists. If you are a top artist, the last thing you would do is paint a picture somebody else has already painted.”
– Cristiano Ronaldo
- “On the pitch and for life generally, I keep my center by remembering that I am part of a team, and if I don’t do my part, I let down not just my team but everyone who follows it.”
– Yaya Toure
- “Football [soccer] is the ballet of the masses.”
– Dmitri Shostakovich
- “I always felt that our triumphs were an expression of the consistent application of discipline. Once you bid farewell to discipline, you say goodbye to success.”
– Sir Alex Ferguson
- “Leadership must be likable, affable, cordial, and above all emotional. The fashion of authoritarian leadership is gone. Football[soccer] is about life. You can’t be angry all day.”
– Vicente del Bosque
- “To be the ultimate team, you must use your body and your mind. Draw upon the resources of your teammates. Choose your steps wisely, and you will win. Remember, only teams succeed.”
– Jose Mourinho
Soccer Speaks to the People
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More than any other sport on the planet, soccer speaks to the people. It is undeniable that it transcends class and unifies people across the globe. Regardless of whether it is at the grassroots level, watching your local amateur side, or following your favorite professional team. There is a continual swell of emotion associated with being a soccer fan. The highs and the lows. It doesn’t matter the size of the club or the size of the opposition; the chance for an upset is always there.
It is exactly that underdog spirit that gives soccer quotes their importance to the world. Whether you call it soccer, football, futbol, voetbal or whatever you will, it is a universal sport that transcends race, religion, language, and culture. Nothing on this earth unifies a country more than a penalty shootout at the end of a World Cup semi-final, as can be seen whenever England manages to put a good run together.
A Poor Man’s Sport Rich in Valuable Quotes
Soccer’s origins can be traced back over 2,000 years to the days of Ancient Greece. However, the British really pushed the sport into the modern game we see today, way back in 1863. For a sport with such a history, it is not surprising that there is such a rich well of inspirational soccer quotes to be found. The history of the sport and the sheer passion it generates among people make it a goldmine for motivation.
The global appeal and presence of the game only help because it’s an instantly relatable subject. I mean, the power of football is undeniable. It unites people from all manner of backgrounds through a single common cause. Moreover, it was strong enough to stop the first world war, even if just for 90 minutes.
Gooooal! Soccer Quotes Conclusion
The above selection of motivational football quotes are taken from the mouths of some of the biggest and best names associated with the beautiful game. However, they are not the only soccer sayings that have ever been uttered.
If you feel that there are some quotes that we have missed off this list, then please, let us know in the comments.
