What is a Professional Soccer Player's Routine for Game Day Prep

A comprehensive pre-game routine can be found in the toolbox of countless soccer stars. Over the course of our careers, we learned the value of pre-game routines cannot be emphasized enough.

It’s not just about meals, stretching, or warming up right before the game. A pre-game routine is designed to put your mind at ease so it’s fully rested and ready to perform later on. This is particularly important in soccer since every single player has to use their brains and make decisions.

Since pre-game routines get so much praise, many younger athletes are understandably curious about what a professional’s pre-game routine actually looks like. There’s isn’t as much structure as you might think. In fact, the key is to strike a balance between a certain amount of structure, and a certain amount of free time.

But first, here’s a run-through of a typical professional soccer player’s pre-game routine (assuming it’s an evening kickoff):

Morning/Early Afternoon

Before a game, you need to get at least eight hours of sleep, so truthfully the pre-game routine starts the night before.

For breakfast, players usually choose items that are high in protein and fiber, with minimal sugar. Lots of players like to have big, hearty breakfasts on game day, since this is the meal that is going to have the biggest impact on their energy levels, both mental and physical.

Afterwards, professionals typically spend the late morning and early afternoon doing things that help them relax. This could be going for a walk, listening to music, playing video games, etc.

Some players choose to run personal errands at this time because it allows them to focus on something completely unrelated to the match. Whatever helps you relax.

Late Afternoon/Evening

For lunch, professionals typically eat light, so they don’t feel too weighed down throughout the rest of the day. This is often followed by a nap, about 1 - 1.5 hours in length.

Next, it’s time to shower, get dressed for the match, and head to the stadium about 3.5 - 4 hours before the match begins. During this period, players usually eat a light meal with their teammates while watching video footage of their opponents, so they can recap the general strategy for the game.  

Final Warmup

With just an hour or so before kickoff, it’s time to engage in some final warm-ups. This varies from player to player, as everyone has their own preferred methods for loosening up their limbs and muscles. Some players begin their pre-game warm up by soaking in a hot tub for 15 minutes or so. Others prefer meditation or yoga. Either way, most players like to set aside another half hour or so to do some light exercise and stretching before the team warmup starts.

As you can see, the underlying goal of the routine is making sure the body and mind are relaxed, and free time during the day certainly helps with the latter aspect. When you have nothing specific scheduled for a certain period of the day, it gives you the peace of mind of knowing that you can do whatever you want with this time. This, combined with a set routine throughout the day can take your mind off the game which helps avoid potential stress and anxiety about the match. The point is, you don’t want your pre-game routine to be too structured but still tick the important boxes so that you’re ready to go come kickoff.

At Beyond Goals Mentoring, we harness our own experience to help young athletes establish and follow pre-game routines. When players feel anxious going into a match, it’s commonly because they’re mentally exhausted. Pre-game routines prevent this from happening, ensuring your athlete has plenty of energy and confidence going into a game.

So, if your athlete is struggling to stay confident before games, let’s schedule a mentoring session today.