7 Ways To Get Better at Soccer | Football [2024]

LET US RANK HOW TO GET BETTER AT SOCCER

Soccer, also known as football or futból, is the biggest sport in the world and is often referred to as “the beautiful game.” The sport captivates the hearts and minds of millions of players and fans worldwide. Whether you’re a casual weekend player, an aspiring athlete, or even a seasoned professional, the desire to improve and be better at something you love is a common goal we all share.

Becoming a better soccer player correlates to the respect you receive from teammates, peers, and onlookers. This ultimately gives you a big confidence boost, and as we all know, success breeds success. The more you practice and improve, the easier it’ll be to keep improving. 

Soccer is a dynamic sport that requires many different physical and mental skills. However, there are a few things a soccer player must have that are non-negotiable if they want to play in a competitive division in their hometown.

In this article, we will focus on the essentials you must do to become the best soccer player you can be. Even though, to become a professional soccer player, you will need to do much more than what is in this article. These are tailored more for the everyday common player, players who play on weekends and work full-time.

Much like any other sport, there are levels to soccer. A beginner might think, wow, these Sunday league competitive players are really good, and these Sunday league soccer players will get destroyed by a competitive college soccer team. Yet, the college team will look at a semi-professional team and think they are much better. Still, a semi-professional team will get humiliated by a professional team.

Once you are professional, there are levels on top of levels reaching the best soccer ever played. The Champions League, where only the world’s best players get to participate.

But chances are, the dream to become a pro ended after high school soccer, and that’s okay. You can still be the best player in your local league. That is a very achievable goal that will give you a lot of satisfaction. There are only seven things that you need to do to become the best soccer player in your Sunday league.

1. Fitness (Cardiovascular Endurance Training, Flexibility Training, and strength training) 
2. Habits (Sleep, discipline, nutrition)
3. Practice Technical Skills: Dribbling Techniques, Shooting, and passing, ball control (first touch), and weak foot training.
4. Join a competitive league where the level of play is slightly higher than where you are currently. 
5. Repetition and Consistency
6. Be a fan of the sport (watch professional matches)

Fitness (Cardiovascular Endurance Training, Flexibility Training, and strength training) 

Working on your overall fitness is the most critical factor in becoming the best soccer player you can be. Without fitness, you can’t train appropriately, as you’ll be tired shortly after the start of your training session. You can’t play without fitness, as you’ll gas out before the first half. Fitness is the building block of being a great soccer player.

Cardiovascular Endurance Training:

Cardiovascular endurance is the ability of the heart, lungs, and circulatory system to supply oxygen and nutrients to the muscles efficiently during prolonged physical activity. In soccer, games can last 90 minutes or more. Players need exceptional cardiovascular fitness to maintain high performance throughout the game. Here’s why cardiovascular endurance training is vital for soccer players:

Endurance: Soccer matches can last 90 minutes or more, with players constantly moving and engaging in various intensities of activity, such as sprinting, jogging, and changes in direction.

Good cardiovascular endurance enables players to sustain their performance throughout the game without experiencing excessive fatigue. It allows them to maintain a high work rate, contribute effectively to their team’s strategies, and seize opportunities during critical moments of the match.

Recovery and Reduced Fatigue: Cardiovascular fitness helps players recover quickly during breaks in play, such as halftime or stoppages, and prepares them for subsequent bursts of intense activity.

Well-conditioned cardiovascular systems facilitate the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, aiding in removing metabolic waste products, such as lactic acid, that contribute to muscle fatigue. This allows players to bounce back swiftly after intense sprints or periods of exertion, reducing the risk of decreased performance as the match progresses.

Always include a cardio workout before and after strength training. As for how much? We recommend a two-mile run daily, followed by a 20-minute fast pace peloton workout. Work your way towards that goal and adjust based on your performance.

Flexibility Training:

Flexibility training is so crucial in soccer due to its benefits for players. I used to be the type of player who never stretched. I would get into strength training exercises without stretching and do poor warm-ups before soccer games.

Not stretching has cost me dearly. I have sprained my hamstring and ankles more times than I can count, and it forced me to realize just how important it is to focus on stretching before and after every workout. Here are several reasons why flexibility training is essential in soccer:

Injury Prevention:

Soccer involves dynamic movements, sudden changes in direction, and explosive actions that strain muscles, tendons, and joints. It would be best if you didn’t play without a proper warm up. We’ve all been late to our game or practice and just hopped into the field without second guessing it, only to feel that terrible strain on our hamstring after a hard sprint.

You have to work yourself up to the movements you will make in the game before the actions happen. Improved flexibility helps reduce the risk of injuries such as muscle strains, sprains, and ligament tears. By maintaining an optimal range of motion, players can move freely, adapt to unpredictable situations, and minimize the likelihood of injury.

Enhanced Performance:

Flexibility plays a significant role in maximizing performance on the soccer field. A wide range of motion in your joints enables players to execute movements more efficiently and effectively. Flexible muscles allow for fluid movements, improved body control, and better balance. These attributes are crucial for implementing soccer-specific skills such as dribbling, shooting, passing, and making quick turns.

Players with good flexibility can generate more power, achieve optimal technique, and precisely execute movements. I’ve significantly improved my game since I incorporated stretching after every workout. My balance and fluidity during the change of directions have improved, making my 15 minute stretch routine well worth it. 

On top of these two benefits, stretching aids recovery and promotes optimal posture and alignment. By incorporating regular flexibility exercises into their training routine, soccer players can improve their overall physical readiness, reduce the likelihood of injuries, and optimize their performance on the field. Try not to be lazy and skip out on stretching. Like every other healthy habit, it’ll get easier over time and be worth the investment. 

Strength Training:

Nothing feels better than knowing few people on the field can out body you in a 50/50 duel. However, this confidence boost is only a fraction of what weight training can offer. Strength training offers several benefits for soccer players.

It allows players to generate greater force when sprinting, jumping, and kicking. Stronger muscles also mean increased speed, agility, and explosive movements, enabling players to outperform their opponents and excel in critical moments during a match. Don’t skip leg day!

Stability and Balance

Soccer involves sudden changes in direction, quick and decelerations, significantly demanding the body’s ability to maintain balance. Strengthening the muscles surrounding the joints, particularly the core, legs, and ankles, improves stability, allowing you to easily withstand tackles and shoulder to shoulder challenges.

Longevity

Strength training leads to long-term athletic development and career longevity, and it is known that weight training is the most effective way to fight aging. By engaging in a well-rounded strength training program, soccer players can improve their physical attributes and delay the onset of father time.

It helps to counteract muscle loss and bone density reduction that can occur with aging, allowing players to maintain their performance levels and stay competitive for extended periods.

Habits (Sleep, discipline, nutrition)

Sleep

Getting quality sleep is the single most important thing you can do to increase your athletic performance. Sleep allows the body to repair and recover from the intense physical demands of soccer games, enhancing injury prevention and overall athletic performance. Cognitive functions, such as decision making, reaction time, and concentration, take a big hit if you’re not getting the right amount of sleep.

Soccer requires quick thinking, strategic planning, and split-second decision-making, all of which rely on optimal brain function. Sleep deprivation has been shown to impair cognitive performance, negatively impacting a player’s ability to assess situations, make accurate judgments, and execute skills effectively.

Discipline

As the great Mike Tyson said, discipline is doing what you hate doing but doing it like you love it. There’s no other way around getting better at soccer. But that doesn’t mean stop going out or doing anything out of the ordinary.

Stay consistent and quickly recover and get back on track if you fall off track. You’re probably not getting paid to play, so there’s no need to stress. Create the habit, and consistency will come. 

Nutrition

If you’re taking the time to play train to become the best soccer player you can be, you’d be doing yourself a significant disservice by not incorporating a healthy balanced diet. Eat as clean as possible, preferably following a macro schedule with intermittent fasting. You want to eat enough so that your body can use the fuel to replenish itself and build itself stronger after every workout. 

Practice Technical Skills: Dribbling, Shooting, passing, ball control (first touch), and weak foot training.

Take the time to get out to the backyard, local park, or any flat surface and work on your skills. Invest in some cones and soccer balls, and work on your dribbling. If you’re lucky enough to have a soccer goal in your backyard or park, practice your shooting. Make it efficient. Set up some cones and dribble using one leg and scoring at the end. Repeat the process with your other foot and repeat 100 times.

If you have a soccer rebounder or wall, work on your passing and receiving the ball repeatedly. Just work on the basics with both legs. This is all you have to do to improve your game significantly.

 If you work from home and are too busy to go out to the parks, set up a piece of wood under your stand up desk or anything that’ll work as a rebounder and work on your passing and receiving with a small soccer ball, both feet! Make efficient use of your time, guys. There is no excuse. 

Join a competitive league where the level of play is slightly higher than where you are currently.

We cannot stress this enough, build a team with your buddies or join a random team and play competitively. Joining a team is important because it motivates you to continue training and doing the necessary things to play better week after week. You want to be looked at as the best player on the team. If not, then why are you playing in the first place? 

As you see yourself lasting longer on the pitch, making more goals, making more accurate passes, and feeling stronger than your opponents, you will gain the momentum to continue on the journey of becoming the best version of your soccer self. 

Repetition and Consistency

Read any book, look at any motivational Tiktok, and you’ll find the key to everything worth having is repetition and consistency. There’s no other way around getting better at something. Set a time to go to the gym daily to work on cardio and strength training. Make it a habit to touch the ball every day, bring a small ball to the office, and have a small ball lying around your house. Every time you walk by, mess around with it and dribble a bit. Create the habit, get comfortable with the ball, and watch yourself feel more confident on the pitch. 

Be a fan of the sport (watch professional matches)

Last but not least, be a fan. Since you are reading this blog, we assume you are already a soccer fan. Take it a little deeper, and the next time you watch the next soccer game, ask yourself why that player is doing what he is doing. Watch players in your position on and off the ball and figure out what decisions they make so that you can implement that in your game.

The tactical moves a player makes were passed down generations from soccer’s greatest minds. These players are following the coach’s instructions, coaches who dedicate their lives to perfecting the game. Instead of just cheering your favorite team or player on, be more conscious of their decision making and positioning.