In the world of soccer, in addition to moments of glory and overcoming obstacles on the pitch, the words of players and coaches often resonate as real life lessons. That’s why we’ve put together some football quotes from players and coaches that are true life lessons.
These inspiring phrases not only reflect the passion, dedication and team spirit that characterize the sport, but also offer valuable reflections on perseverance, hard work and belief in oneself. Check it out!
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50 soccer phrases to take into your life
Quotes from soccer players
- “If I could, I’d call myself Edson Arantes do Nascimento Bola. It would be the only way to thank her for what she did for me.” – Pelé
- “When you win, it’s not as good as it looks, and when you lose, it’s not as bad as it looks.” – Joe Hart
- “You have to fight to achieve your dreams. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.” – Lionel Messi
- “I don’t play soccer to be the best in the world. I play soccer to be happy.” – Ronaldinho Gaúcho
- “Football is not just a game, it’s a lifestyle.” – Thierry Henry
- “The ball is round, the game lasts 90 minutes and everything else is just theory.” – Sepp Herberger
- “Success doesn’t happen by chance. It’s hard work, perseverance, learning, study, sacrifice and, above all, love for what you’re doing or learning to do.” – Pelé
- “I’m the best, not because I play better than the others, but because I believe I’m the best.” – Zlatan Ibrahimović
- “Football is a matter of life and death, except that it’s much more important than that.” – Bill Shankly
- “Football is a game of mistakes. Whoever makes the fewest mistakes wins.” – Johan Cruyff
- “Football is simple, but playing simple soccer is the hardest thing there is.” – Johan Cruyff
- “You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.” – Cristiano Ronaldo
- “In soccer, as in life, you need to have faith and determination.” – David Beckham
- “Football is the only sport where you can dream of being a hero.” – Roberto Baggio
- “Without discipline, talent is useless” – Cristiano Ronaldo
- “If you’re not a winner, you won’t achieve anything.” – Diego Maradona
- “In soccer, as in life, we need to look ahead and ponder our next moves constantly.” – Pelé
- “In soccer, the most important thing is teamwork.” – Andrés Iniesta
- “I’ve always believed that if you work hard, the results will come.” – Frank Lampard
- “I was never interested in being the best player in the world, let alone that people thought about it. I just wanted to play soccer, have fun and for people to remember me for being a happy player” – Ronaldinho Gaúcho
- “You can keep throwing stones, or you can throw them away and help me stand up. And when I stand up, the whole of Brazil stands up with me.” – Neymar
- “You never know what can happen in soccer.” – Kylian Mbappé
- “When you can’t win, make sure you don’t lose.” – Johan Cruyff
- “I’ve always had faith in my work and my abilities.” – Ronaldinho Gaúcho
- “Follow your dreams, work hard and the opportunities will come.” – Cristiano Ronaldo
Quotes from soccer coaches
- “Football is a school of life.” – Carlos Alberto Parreira
- “Football is the most important of the least important things.” – Arrigo Sacchi
- “If you can’t support when we lose, you shouldn’t support when we win.” – José Mourinho
- “The difference between success and failure lies in willpower.” – José Mourinho
- “There’s no such thing as luck. What you call luck is attention to detail.” – Pep Guardiola
- “Victory is the goal, but soccer is the passion.” – Pep Guardiola
- “I can accept defeat, but I can’t accept not trying.” – Alex Ferguson
- “To win without risk is to triumph without glory.” – Arsène Wenger
- “In soccer, the best thing is to win. The second best thing is to lose.” – Vicente del Bosque
- “Teamwork makes the dream work.” – Phil Jackson
- “No one has enough talent to live on talent alone. Even when you have talent, a life without work goes nowhere.” – Arsène Wenger
- “Footballers play for the fans.” – Marcelo Bielsa
- “There are no young or old players. There are only good players and bad players.” – Helenio Herrera
- “You don’t need talent to be an athlete, but you need talent to be a champion.” – Bob Paisley
- “Football is a matter of details.” – Carlo Ancelotti
- “I hate losing more than I love winning.” – Alex Ferguson
- “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Johan Cruyff
- “The secret of success is constancy of purpose.” – Benjamin Disraeli
- “You must respect all opponents.” – Zinedine Zidane
- “In soccer, the only way to prove you’re a good coach is to win.” – Vicente del Bosque (coach of the Spanish national team)
- “Coaching soccer is like painting a picture. You need inspiration and passion.” – Marcelo Bielsa (Leeds United manager)
- “I’ve learned that you’re never big enough to lose.” – Bill Shankly (Liverpool manager)
- “Football is an art, like dancing.” – Arsène Wenger (Arsenal manager)
- “Discipline is the mother of success.” – Pep Guardiola (Manchester City manager)
- “In soccer, as in life, you have to learn from your mistakes.” – Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid coach)
The sentences of soccer players and coaches capture the essence of what makes this sport so special and influential, and remind us of the importance of fighting for our dreams, working as a team and never giving up, regardless of the obstacles.
If you’ve been inspired by these football quotes and want to explore more about this sport, be sure to check out our other content. Discover more inspiring stories, in-depth analysis and everything that makes football the most beloved sport in the world:
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- The 10 best coaches in the world
- The 20 best strikers in the world
