Weirdest Football Superstitions
• Right Sock First – Lionel Messi
Messi meticulously puts on his right sock before his left every match—no explanation needed—just routine.
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• Underwear by Color – Sergio Gómez
Sergio Gómez refuses to don underwear unless it’s the right color—he’s particular about that pre-game layer.
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• Last Out of the Tunnel – Ronaldo & Kolo Touré
Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Kolo Touré insisted on being the last player to emerge onto the pitch. Touré famously refused to come out until a teammate’s injury treatment had finished mid-match!
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• Domestic Order — David Beckham
Beckham needed perfect food orderliness in his fridge before games—everything lined up just so, or his routine was disrupted.
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• Gary Lineker’s Shooting Snub
Lineker refused to take shots in pre-game warm-ups, afraid they’d cost him his goals for the match itself.
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• Johan Cruyff’s Gum Ritual
Cruyff had a bizarre ritual—slap the goalkeeper’s stomach, chew gum, then spit it into the opponent’s half—and blamed a loss once on forgetting it.
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• Tie Knots – Mesut Özil
Ózil tied multiple knots in his boots, and always put on the right boot first—every match without fail.
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• Sock Modifications – Gareth Bale
Feeling tight on his calves, Bale cut holes in his socks (now common in football), believing it reduced pressure and possibly brought him luck.
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• Red Line Avoidance – Phil Jones
Jones had a unique system: depending on the fixture, he’d put on his socks in a specific order to avoid stepping on white pitch lines—believing the wrong step could jinx things.
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• Penalty Pee – Sergio Goycochea
During penalty shootouts, the Argentine goalkeeper made a habit of urinating on the pitch before play—believing it brought him good fortune.
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Football Curses: When Belief Extends to Clubs
Sometimes, it’s not players but clubs and communities embroiled in superstition:
- Birmingham City’s Romani Curse: Allegedly, a Romani hex kept them from winning major titles for 100 years after relocating on Romani land. Managers tried ritualistic cures—from crucifixes to urinating in pitch corners.
sogility.net - Liverpool’s Witch‑Doctor Curse: Goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar claimed a curse stopped Liverpool from winning the league—until he urinated on the goalposts, after which they finally triumphed.
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Quick Summary
| Player / Club | Superstition |
|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | Right sock first |
| Sergio Gómez | Specific underwear color |
| Ronaldo / Kolo Touré | Last out of tunnel |
| David Beckham | Neat fridge arrangement |
| Gary Lineker | No shots in warm-up |
| Johan Cruyff | Stomach slap, gum spit ritual |
| Mesut Özil | Knots in boots |
| Gareth Bale | Holes cut in socks |
| Phil Jones | Socks order to avoid touchlines |
| Sergio Goycochea | Urination before penalties |
| Birmingham City | Romani curse resolved by odd rituals |
| Liverpool (Grobbelaar) | Urinated on posts to break league curse |
Superstitions in football reveal just how much the game is driven by routines, mindset—and sometimes, bizarre belief systems. Want to explore more from other sports or legendary oddball rituals?
