The Soccer Treasury of Quotations: Wisdom From the World's Most Popular Sport
Author: Jo Brielyn
Date: 2026-05-05 07:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Sports & Recreation; Soccer; Reference; Quotations; Humor; Topic
Description: A great gift idea for Father's Day. A timeless collection of inspirational, insightful, and humorous soccer quotes celebrating legendary players, iconic coaches, global football culture, and the lasting impact of the beautiful game—making it the perfect gift for every true soccer fan. Soccer is more than a sport. It’s a shared language spoken in packed stadiums, neighborhood streets, and living rooms around the globe. It’s joy and heartbreak, loyalty and rivalry, history and hope—all carried forward by the words of those who live and breathe the game. The Soccer Treasury of Quotations is a cap
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The Soccer Treasury of Quotations

Text Copyright © 2026 Hatherleigh Press

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ISBN: 978-1-961293-61-8

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Cover and interior design by Carolyn Kasper

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Contents

1. Introduction

2. One Team, One Dream

3. Leading the Charge

4. Shoot, Miss, Repeat

5. Laughter on the Field

6. Scoring with Integrity

7. Conclusion

“I think soccer is a great game because it brings people together. It doesn’t matter where you come from or what language you speak, soccer unites everyone.”

—Marco Van Basten

Introduction

It begins on a grassy field or small alley long before the days of playing in a floodlit stadium. A group of children meet to kick around a ball, and in that moment, a dream takes flight. Soccer—or football, as it is known in many other countries—is more than a game. It’s a pulse that beats around the world, a language that speaks of pursuing goals and surpassing limits. With every drop of sweat, tear shed, and goal missed or scored, it resonates with fans across generations and borders.

Inside these pages, you’ll find wisdom that has inspired champions both on and off the field—words that celebrate the essence of teamwork, resilience in the face of defeat, and a true love for the sport.

Whether you are a player searching for motivation, a coach looking for some pregame insights, or simply someone who finds magic in a well-placed pass, these quotes are here to fuel your passion.

One Team, One Dream

Soccer embodies the spirit of unity and shared goals, underlining the importance of teamwork and collaboration. Each player brings unique skills and strengths to the game, yet the success of a team depends on collectively learning to trust, support, and work together.

I have never once dribbled the whole field and scored a goal by myself.

—Abby Wambach

It’s not about the name on the back of the shirt. It’s about the badge on the front.

—David Beckham

As someone who played a team sport, I feel a bit uncomfortable being ranked as an individual so high.

—Franz Beckenbauer

I have a few tricks and dribbles which I use a lot and when I am playing well, it is natural that they become easier. But the tricks I use are the ones that will hopefully benefit the team. What I do as an individual player is only important if it helps the team to win. That is the most important thing.

—Cristiano Ronaldo

You cannot win a game of football on your own; it’s about the entire squad working together to achieve something. That’s how football works: it has always been about the group, not the individual.

—Lucy Bronze

Often the biggest test is when the chips are down, and you’ve got to stick together as a team.

—Michael Owen

A lot of people, when a guy scores a lot of goals, think, ‘He’s a great player.’ because a goal is very important, but a great player is a player who can do everything on the field. He can do assists, encourage his colleagues, give them confidence to go forward. It is someone who, when a team does not do well, becomes one of the leaders.

—Pelé

The beauty of soccer lies in the unity it creates. Embrace your teammates and conquer together.

—Saki Kumagai

The captain is the first to make a commitment to the objectives that are set internally, they have to lead by example to reinforce that.

—Alexia Putellas

To have a successful team, you have to have great soccer players, of course, but you have to have good personalities and good people as well.

—David Beckham

Scoring goals is a great feeling, but the most important thing to me is that the team is successful—it doesn’t matter who scores the goals as long as we’re winning.

—Cristiano Ronaldo

Your teammates see you through the good and the bad. They see where your foundation lies.

—Tobin Heath

Every team I’m on, I expect to win. I expect to push my teammates as much as I can, and I expect them to do the same with me.

—Ashlyn Harris

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 Touré

Geese always support each other. When a goose gets injured two birds always accompany it down to the ground. Just as geese do, we must support each other.

—Emma Hayes

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

I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion.

—Mia Hamm

A team is not made up of isolated individuals. Always stay in the group. This way you have the strength of the group, and you have the strength of the individual.

—Diego Maradona

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.

—Pelé

Whether it’s a friendly match, or for points, or a final, or any game—I play the same. I’m always trying to be my best, first for my team, for myself, for the fans, and to try and win.

—Lionel Messi

Get to know and establish relationships with your teammates because they are your new family and will support you on and off the field.

—Alex Morgan

The work of a team should always embrace a great player, but the great player must always work.

—Sir Alex Ferguson

My teammates are the ultimate motivation. They mean everything to me. They are the reason I want to be at my best.

—Julie Foudy

The better the opposition put in front of you, the better your team plays.

—Michael Owen

There’s nothing like scoring a goal and having your teammates run over and pile on top of you.

—Christine Sinclair

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.

—José Mourinho

Being a good teammate is when you try to sprint down a ball that everyone thinks is going out of bounds. But you go after it anyways and you get it.

—Mia Hamm

When you start supporting a football club, you don’t support it because of the trophies, or a player, or history, you support it because you found yourself somewhere there; found a place where you belong.

—Dennis Bergkamp

Whether we have the best individual players doesn’t matter, you have to have the best team.

—Philipp Lahm

I don’t care how talented a team is, unless you believe in one another, you’re weak.

—Julie Foudy

I’m a part of a team, and I’m no better or any worse than any single player on this team. That’s the approach I’ve always had and will continue to have. It’s not about me. It has never been all about me. If it had, this would have been a really lonely. journey.

—Mia Hamm

In my teams, when we win, we all win, and when we lose, I lose.

—José Mourinho

I used to focus more on scoring. Now I take a lot of pride and pleasure in helping someone else do well.

—Landon Donovan

It’s that tingle in my stomach, that lump in my throat and that smile on my face that tell me I am part of an incredible team.

—Kristine Lilly

There’s such a great dynamic when you’re part of a team – when you can do things for others and want to be the best, not only for yourself.

—Kim Little

You need teamwork to achieve real success, and that attitude comes straight from soccer.

—Matt Bahr

Be the best teammate you can be, be the best player you can be, and just be as supportive and encouraging for people who are playing.

—Kelley O’Hara

A football team is like a piano. You need eight men to carry it and three who can play the damn thing.

—Bill Shankly

I’m going to tell you the story about the geese which fly 5,000 miles from Canada to France. They fly in V-formation, but the second ones don’t fly. They’re the subs for the first ones. And then the second ones take over—so it’s teamwork.

—Sir Alex Ferguson

The most important thing in football is the team, not the individual.

—Louis van Gaal

When the year starts the objective is to win it all with the team, personal records are secondary.

—Lionel Messi

The beautiful and pure thing about women’s football is that the motivations and the happiness lies more in the team working well.

—Vivianne Miedema

The best teams come out of the toughest games battered and bruised but victorious.

—Mia Hamm

I hate to speak about individuals. Players don’t win you trophies, teams win trophies, squads win trophies.

—José Mourinho

That’s the great thing with Lyon: we are such a competitive group of players, but we know each other so well, so what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch.

—Ada Hegerberg

Leading the Charge

Coaches, captains, and fellow teammates are pivotal in motivating their teams and driving them towards success. This chapter features valuable wisdom from some of the greats on leadership, motivation, and guidance.

There are times not to coach. The urge is to step in and show them. Sometimes it’s better to let them make a mistake. Sometimes they learn more from the mistake than being told what to do.

—Dennis Bergkamp

If you do not believe you can do it then you have no chance at all.

—Arsène Wenger

Before you can coach others, first you must learn to coach yourself.

—Johan Cruyff

Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.

—Arjen Robben

If you live your life by what others say, it stops being your life.

—Dani Alves

You can’t just rely on your talent. You have to think about the game. Like a physicist! Football is a science.

—Diego Maradona

I found people that were willing to push me. I was like, ‘these are my goals. I need you to get me there.’ I don’t need any excuses. I won’t make any excuses. I’m over making excuses.

—Julie Ertz

Focus on every moment; that’s what being a goalkeeper is all about.

—Alisson Becker

If you want to change something, you have to use new ways.

—Joachim Low

But one thing you need to do in the game, is to adapt and adjust your game to what you have been asked to do and also to what your body is telling you to do.

—Thierry Henry

If you’re going to be a successful soccer coach at all levels, you need to be able to motivate your players. The key is to know when to be serious and when to relax.

—Sir Alex Ferguson

You can’t score a goal if you don’t take a shot.

—Johan Cruyff

I don’t believe in luck; I believe in hard work. I believe in spending 90 minutes trying to close down the opponent. The rest I leave up to fate!

—Carlos Queiroz

I think that the most important thing to have is balance. In football [soccer], if you have balance, you can do what you want.

—Zinedine Zidane

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

—Roy Keane

Anyone can have a good day, but you have to be able to perform on a bad day.

—Jürgen Klopp

The biggest part of leadership is that you lead by example with your performance first and foremost.

—Jude Bellingham

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

Leadership must be likable, affable, cordial, and above all emotional. The fashion of authoritarian leadership is gone. Football is about life. You can’t be angry all day.

—Vicente del Bosque

Life is like a game of soccer. You need goals. If there are no goals in your life, then you can’t win.

—David Beckham

If you’re attacking, you don’t get as tired as when you’re chasing.

—Kyle Rote, Jr.

If you think you’re perfect already, then you never will be.

—Cristiano Ronaldo

If you’re not prepared to run, don’t play the game.

—Roy Keane

It’s amazing how much the game has changed for women. But, in many ways, you’ll find it’s always going to be just a little bit harder for girls. Leagues and clubs will start and shutter. But one thing you’ll find—whether in Brazil, or Sweden, or now, being back in the United States with Orlando Pride—is that every woman shares something: a complicated story…and a love for football that keeps driving them.

—Marta

As a goalkeeper you need to be good at organizing the people in front of you and motivating them. You need to see what’s going on and react to the threats. Just like a good manager in business.

—Peter Shilton

You’ll never know your limits unless you push yourself to them.

—Julie Ertz

Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your ears.

—Alex Morgan

Take your victories, whatever they might be, cherish them, use them, but don’t settle for them.

—Mia Hamm

Behind every kick of a ball, there has to be a thought.

—Dennis Bergkamp

Continuous improvement is the key to success in this game. If you stay stagnant, you’ll be left behind!

—Pep Guardiola

It’s not about how big you are, it’s all about how big you play.

—Mallory Swanson

If you stand still, there is only one way to go, and that’s backwards.

—Peter Shilton

We must always set the bar high—otherwise we do not progress.

—Kylian Mbappé

If you want to see the best, you have to do the best.

—Zinedine Zidane

I dedicate myself to my business, to meet my personal goals, which are what make me more satisfied. I don’t have to wait for anyone to recognize what I do, I am the one who has to be satisfied and proud of myself.

—Aitana Bonmatí

Keep dreaming, even when people laugh at your dreams or tell you that they are impossible to achieve. Keep believing in yourself.

—Tobin Heath

Speed is often confused with insight. When I start running earlier than the others, I appear faster.

—Johan Cruyff

A good coach makes players see what they can be, rather than what they are.

—Ariel Jacobs

To watch people push themselves further than they think they can, it’s a beautiful thing.

—Abby Wambach

As a girl, you were always told you were not supposed to be able to live from football. Adults try to tell kids to choose the right way, but what they knew as normal when they were kids doesn’t necessarily mean it was normal when we grew up. It was a goal to prove them wrong, and eventually developed to: ‘I want to show that I can live from it.’

—Caroline Graham Hansen

In football [soccer], the worst things are excuses. Excuses mean you cannot grow or move forward.

—Pep Guardiola

Everybody has a talent, but it’s what you do with it that makes it great.

—Alex Morgan

I think sometimes the best training is to rest.

—Cristiano Ronaldo

Shoot, Miss, Repeat

For every scored goal and celebrated victory, there are even more missed shots and challenges fought in the game of soccer. Players must push forward, learn from their mistakes, and persevere. These inspirational quotes about hard work, persistence, and facing and overcoming obstacles on and off the field remind us that success is built on resilience and determination.

There’s no talent here, this is hard work. This is an obsession.

—Cristiano Ronaldo

Always work hard, never give up, and fight until the end because it’s never really over until the whistle blows.

—Alex Morgan

I start early, and I stay late, day after day, year after year. It took me 17 years and 114 days to become an overnight success.

—Lionel Messi

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

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

Success is not permanent, and failure is not fatal.

—Sir Alex Ferguson

You can learn a lot from losing. You can learn how to handle disappointment and come back stronger the next time.

—Marco Van Basten

You can’t win every game, but you can always learn from your losses and improve.

—Carlo Ancelotti

All good athletes make mistakes; the great ones learn to make that mistake only once.

—Raúl López

Failure happens all the time. It happens every day in practice. What makes you better is how you react to it.

—Mia Hamm

You can fall down and then you must stand up. Only silly idiots stay on the floor. We will strike back, 100 percent.

—Jürgen Klopp

Success is not only about winning, but also about learning from your failures and making the necessary adjustments to improve.

—Sergio Ramos

Be honest about how you approach failure. Don’t just be critical of yourself, because that can be self-serving. Approach it honestly, assess your performance, and assess the areas where you have fallen short. Correct them and move on. Don’t dwell on it. Don’t hold on to it.

—Megan Rapinoe

You can learn more from the lows than the highs. The highs are great, but the lows make you really look at things in a different way and want to improve. Every player will have both in their careers and I have, but what you get is that experience which is so important to perform at your best.

—Wayne Rooney

Only true champions come out and show their worth after defeat. And I expect us to do that.

—Sir Alex Ferguson

If you train badly, you play badly. If you work like a beast in training, you play the same way.

—Pep Guardiola

I am building a fire, and every day I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match.

—Mia Hamm

Never give up, and be confident in what you do. There may be tough times, but the difficulties which you face will make you more determined to achieve your objectives and to win against all the odds.

—Marta

Whenever I faced a setback, that’s what I was thinking about, to dust myself off and get back to work.

—Alexandra Popp

Whatever brings you down, will eventually make you stronger.

—Alex Morgan

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

Losers complain, winners train.

—José Mourinho

Success is not given. It is earned. So, lace up your boots and go get it.

—Abby Wambach

I think it’s my personality to overcome things, learn from them and become stronger, both personally and professionally. To be honest, I welcome those hardships.

—Hope Solo

Effort is non-negotiable. Talent is a gift, but without relentless effort, it’s meaningless.

—Arsène Wenger

You have to fight through some bad days to earn the best days of your life.

—Alex Morgan

On the field, I find myself; off the field, I keep learning.

—Dani Alves

In the face of challenges, rise above them and let your game speak for itself.

—Pernille Harder

Football is a game you cannot play without making mistakes.

—Jürgen Klopp

Even when quitting seems like the best option, there’s always a reason to keep going.

—Hope Solo

Don’t be scared to be ambitious. It’s not a humiliation to have a high target and to fail. For me, the real humiliation is to have a target and not to give everything to reach it.

—Arsène Wenger

A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are.

—Bill Shankly

Believe in yourself and don’t be afraid of making mistakes, because mistakes are part of your growth. Mistakes don’t mean you’re not good enough. It means you’re evolving. You will become the best version of yourself.

—Sarina Wiegman

They say a penalty saved is a player winning. But what about the player who took it? He lost!

—Gareth Bale

When you lose, you learn a lot about yourself. That experience is important.

—Antonio Conte

I don’t believe much in luck. I believe more in work, in conviction, in stubbornness, and in capacity.

—Diego Simeone

It’s hard to beat someone that never gives up.

—Megan Rapinoe

When people criticize me, instead of putting my head down, it gives me energy to do even more.

—Zlatan Ibrahimović

Nobody has enough talent to live on talent alone. Even when you have talent, a life without work goes nowhere.

—Arsène Wenger

If you win without sacrifice you enjoy it but it’s more satisfying when you have struggled.

—Andrés Iniesta

Every season will have its dips and hard moments, and the challenge then is to make sure you don’t get too down in those moments and make sure you come back fighting.

—Frank Lampard

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

People react to criticism in different ways, and my way is definitely to come out fighting.

—David Beckham

Every disadvantage has its advantage.

—Johan Cruyff

Laughter on the Field

Soccer, like many sports, is full of intensity and high-pressure moments but also presents its fair share of humor. Whether it is witty comments from coaches and players or impromptu antics on the field, there’s always room for laughter and smiles in the world of soccer.

The only thing worse than missing a penalty is missing two!

—Francesco Totti

Soccer is a dance that involves running, kicking, and a little bit of falling over!

—Pelé

I’ve learned that if you can laugh while playing soccer, you can face anything in life!

—Lionel Messi

I can’t believe it. I’m going to say this only once. Just because I follow someone around the field doesn’t mean I’m stalking them!

—David Beckham

We didn’t underestimate them. They were a lot better than we thought.

—Bobby Robson

If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again.

—Terry Venables

Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.

—Bill Shankly

When I’m on the pitch, I’m not afraid of anyone. But when I watch a horror movie, I hide behind the sofa.

—Cristiano Ronaldo

Most goals are scored between the posts.

—Jamie Redknapp

My coach said I run like a girl, and I said if he ran a little faster, he could too.

—Mia Hamm

A good ref will keep the game fair, while a great one will help you have a laugh!

—Arsène Wenger

The ball is my wife. I have to take care of her.

—Diego Maradona

The best part about soccer? There’s always a chance to take a dive and make it look good!

—Neymar

Give the opponents more than one reason to stare at your feet.

—Lionel Messi

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 Woosnam

If you’re not laughing, you’re not playing right.

—Wayne Rooney

We had a good team on paper. Unfortunately, the game was played on grass.

—Brian Clough

Some people are born with the talent, some people acquire it, and then there are those like me—we just pay to watch others!

—Gareth Bale

Why does the referee always see the five minutes that I’m late, but not the dangerous tackles that blitz my players?

—José Mourinho

If we’d played better, we’d have won.

—Gabriel Batistuta

Mind you, I’ve been here during the bad times too—one year we came second.

—Bob Paisley

I think a goal is a goal, and not all my goals are pretty.

—Alex Morgan

Some people think they can be soccer players. The truth is, they just kick and run!

—Zlatan Ibrahimović

I love scoring goals. Just like I love the taste of beer!

—Luis Suárez

People say ‘go with the flow’ but do you know what goes with the flow? Dead fish.

—Roy Keane

Success is no reason to stop being goofy. In fact, it’s more fun when you’re goofy!

—Roberto Martinez

For me, it’s enough that I have the first and last word.

—Jürgen Klopp

Formerly, all keepers were in black so you couldn’t have mixed them up with anyone else. And now they are red, yellow, blue—like parrots!

—Sepp Maier

People want success. It’s like coffee, they want instant.

—Sir Bobby Robson

Sometimes in football you have to score goals.

—Thierry Henry

I don’t really like to consider myself as a celebrity, just a regular soccer player who kicks a round thing for a living!

—Lionel Messi

The more I practice, the luckier I get...unless it’s a penalty shootout!

—Peter Schmeichel

Soccer is a sport of elegance, and I’m just trying to bring some humor to that elegance!

—Thierry Henry

If I had a pound for every time I had a good idea, I’d have a pound.

—Sir Bobby Robson

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.

—Bob Paisley

We must have had 99% of the game. It was the other three percent that cost us the match.

—Ruud Gullit

My mother thinks I am the best. And I was raised to always believe what my mother tells me.

—Diego Maradona

When I’m shouting at the defense, subtitles come up in front of the goal.

—Shay Given

If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he’d have put grass up there.

—Brian Clough

It’s all fun and games until you miss the penalty!

—Michael Owen

A goal without a celebration is just a practice shot.

—Luca Toni

Scoring with Integrity

Scoring with integrity in soccer means playing with honesty, sportsmanship, and character. It involves adhering to the rules, honoring the efforts of teammates, and celebrating goals with humility and respect for opponents. Athletes who play with this approach demonstrate a positive attitude and personify a true love for the sport.

The only thing that matters is your attitude. It doesn’t matter how many games you win. It’s what you do when you’ve lost.

—Sir Alex Ferguson

I think there are a lot of things that soccer does in the communities that transcend the soccer field.

—Brandi Chastain

Playing football with your feet is one thing, but playing football with your heart is another.

—Francesco Totti

We’re gracious and we’re humble, and we play the game a certain way, whether we win or lose.

—Megan Rapinoe

It is not about the glory you achieve, but the people you inspire.

—Zinedine Zidane

I don’t want to be remembered as a good goalkeeper, I want to be remembered as a great person.

—Iker Casillas

To be a good soccer player, you need to be able to see the game in slow motion. You need to be able to see the spaces and be two steps ahead of your opponents.

—Gerd Müller

The best way to prove yourself is to play with pride and passion.

—Tony Adams

The best players don’t complain about the pitch; they play their game no matter what.

—Sir Alex Ferguson

I discovered it’s not the gloves but what’s in them that counts.

—Neville Southall

Playing soccer at the highest level requires a strong mental attitude, a commitment to excellence, and a love of the sport.

—Tiffeny Milbrett

If you don’t play with intensity, if you don’t play with passion, if you don’t play with a desire to win, then there’s no point in playing.

—Roy Keane

Success doesn’t motivate me as much as integrity does. Everyone loses. I enjoy the pressure of showing up every single day, being focused, putting forth my best effort, getting the best out of my teammates, and enjoying the journey.

—Becky Sauerbrunn

My motivations are mainly to be the best that I can be as a player on the pitch, but also off the pitch and how can I also bring out the best in others. That’s a real motivator for me because you can do that every single day, and that’s what I try to do.

—Kim Little

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 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

You won’t get far if you don’t love the game.

—Sophia Smith

When things begin to go negative, sometimes we just have to cover our ears and not let such circumstances influence us.

—Dani Alves

Everyone who watches me play knows I am an honest player. play the game as honestly as I can. If the referee gives a penalty there is nothing you can do.

—Wayne Rooney

Football is all about passion, it’s about fighting for the shirt, for your team, and for the supporters.

—Jürgen Klopp

The most important quality a player can have is not skill, but mentality.

—José Mourinho

You have to play with intensity, with courage, and always be thinking about winning.

—Ronaldo

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

Football is played with the head. Your feet are just the tools.

—Andrea Pirlo

I learned all about life with a ball at my feet.

—Ronaldinho Gaúcho

While I don’t know if I exist in the land of the elite, I’m definitely on the battlefield with relentlessness.

—Christen Press

The only victory that counts is the one over yourself.

—Lionel Messi

The vision of a champion is someone who is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when no one else is watching.

—Anson Dorrance

The real revelation of a player’s character is not in his social life but in how he plays. In my social life, I can hide my real personality.

—Arsène Wenger

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

Do what you love. If you love something, you aren’t going to care about the sacrifices you’re making to do whatever it is.

—Kelley O’Hara

I was always taught as a kid if you do something, do it right. If not, go do something else. For me, soccer was life.

—Marcelo Balboa

To be successful, you must be yourself, be the best that you can be, and not allow anyone to stand in your way.

—Hope Solo

Soccer is simple. You just need to have the right mentality, fighting in every game, in every practice, and for every ball.

—Hristo Stoichkov

In soccer, it’s not just about the final score, it’s also about the journey and the memories you create along the way.

—Martin Keown

Success in soccer is not just about the number of goals you score, but the impact you have on the game and the people around you.

—Brandi Chastain

I always want to become better. If never being satisfied is a problem, then I have it.

—Zlatan Ibrahimović

You win by effort, by commitment, by ambition, by quality, by expressing yourself individually but in the team context.

—José Mourinho

If I lose the ball, I lose it trying to do the right thing. That’s the way it is.

—Frank Lampard

You can have all the ability in the world, but if you don’t have the right attitude, you’ll never be a great player.

—Dwight Yorke

Once you bid farewell to discipline, you say goodbye to success.

—Sir Alex Ferguson

You play with your head. You play with your whole body. But most of all, you play with your heart.

—Kaká

It doesn’t matter if you win as long as you give everything in your heart.

—Abby Wambach

Conclusion

As the final whistle blows on the pages of this book, the voices linger. Each quote shared in this book is testament to the joy, the grit, and the unity that soccer cultivates. These are the lessons whispered in the huddle, yelled from sidelines, and treasured in the hearts of those who live and love the game.

Let these quotes continue to inspire you—on the pitch and beyond it. Allow them to remind you that champions are built not born, that passion doesn’t take a break, and that the best victories are shared. The journey doesn’t end here. The ball is still in play. So, lace up your shoes, keep your head in the game, and keep chasing your goals!