Soccer may be the world’s most popular sport, with billions of people across the globe both watching and playing the beautiful game.
But it isn’t just about 22 players kicking a ball around a pitch. Soccer is about so much more than goals and glory.
It’s about teamwork, passion, discipline, joy, and inspiration—qualities that extend far beyond the pitch. For fans, the game fuels daily routines, sparks ambition, and brings people together through shared emotion and love for the sport.
With that in mind, here are 50 of the best soccer quotes ever—from the deeply philosophical to the hilariously lighthearted—that capture the spirit of the game and why exactly it means so much to so many.
Inspirational Soccer Quotes
1.
2. ––Pelé.
3. Jürgen Klopp.
4. Sir Alex Ferguson.
5. “If you think you’re perfect already, then you never will be.”
– Cristiano Ronaldo.
6. Megan Rapinoe.
7. Neymar Jr.
8. ––Emma Hayes.
9. Alex Morgan.
10. ––Lionel Messi.
Funny Soccer Quotes
11. ––José Mourinho.
12. David May.
13. Paul Gascoigne.
14. Ian Rush.
15. “He cannot kick with his left foot, he cannot head a ball, he cannot tackle, and he doesn’t score many goals. Apart from that he’s alright.”
– George Best on David Beckham.
16. ––John Motson.
17. ––Chris Kamara.
18. "We didn’t underestimate them, but they were a lot better than we thought."––Bobby Robson.
19. ––Terry Venables.
20. Ruud Gullit.
Quotes About Teamwork and Perseverance
21. Diego Maradona.
22. ––Pelé.
23. Johan Cruyff.
24. Emma Hayes.
25. No one is bigger than the team, you win together, and you can certainly lose together.”
– Sam Kerr.
26. ––Mia Hamm.
27. ––Briana Scurry.
28. ––Lionel Messi.
29. ––David Beckham.
30. ––Arsène Wenger.
Bizzare Soccer Quotes
31. Claudio Ranieri after having a sausage named in his honor.
32. "––Zlatan Ibrahimovic on his style of play.
33. Mario Balotelli on celebrating goals.
34. Rafael Benitez talking about Roy Hodgson.
35. Young players are a little bit like melons. Only when you open and taste the melon are you 100 per cent sure that the melon is good.”
– José Mourinho.
36. ––Les Ferdinand.
37. ––David Acfield.
38. ––George Best.
39. Eric Cantona, after kung-fu kicking a fan.
40. Brian Clough on his standing.
Quotes About Passion and Love for Soccer
41. ––Cristiano Ronaldo.
42. Arsene Wenger.
43. George Orwell.
44. ––George Weah.
45. “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that.”
– Bill Shankly.
46. ––Tony Adams.
47. Ronaldinho.
48. “––Dmitri Shostakovich.
49. Bob Marley.
50. ––Roy Keane.
