Soccer Poetry for Kids: Poems, Books, and Writing Activities for Young Readers

The World Cup is here, and there’s no better time to share soccer poetry with kids! I played many sports growing up, but soccer has always been closest to my heart. When I’m not reading or writing poems, you’ll find me following my favorite teams (Go Timbers! Go Thorns! Go Manchester United!). 

Soccer is a game of dazzling creativity, intricate rhythms, and high emotion—a lot like poetry. What better way to celebrate the world’s beautiful game than enjoying poems that encourage kids to move, cheer, and build resilience? In this blog post I’ve compiled a collection of poems, books, and writing ideas to share soccer poetry with the next generation of Leo Messis and Mia Hamms.

Whether you’re a teacher, librarian, parent, or young football fan, lace up your boots and let’s explore some soccer poetry! 

Soccer Poems to Read and Share 

Here are some individual poems to inspire future soccer stars: 

"Ferret Soccer" by Kenn Nesbitt

A delightfully silly poem imagining a soccer match played by rambunctious ferrets. Set to the tune of "Frère Jacques,” this hilarious poem will get little ones eager to play some ferret soccer of their own! 

“Star Player” by Helen Kemp Zax

A furry friend turned “football fiend” takes to the pitch in this fun poem. One of the all-time great footballers makes an appearance in the last line, so this poem might also serve as an entry point into exploring football history. 

“The Ball Comes to Me” by Jack Prelutsky 

A sweet rhyming poem that highlights the action of a kids' soccer match and celebrates the small wins. The infinite optimism of the last line is sure to make you smile.  

“When the Referee Swallowed his Whistle” by Colin West 

A hilarious narrative poem that imagines kids having a ball after the referee gets sidelined. You can listen to Colin’s wonderful performance of the poem and see his fun illustrations on the Dirigible Balloon website. 

“Soccer Juggling Practice” by Stefan Karlsson 

A poem about patience, practice, and persistence. As a kid I was fascinated by players like Ronaldinho who could juggle with superhuman precision and panache. But when I tried to juggle, I soon discovered: it’s ridiculously hard! This poem shares both the frustration of little flops and the satisfaction of small progress. Keep going! 

Soccer Poetry Books for Young Readers

Here are a few poetry books dedicated to soccer:

Soccerverse: Poems About Soccer — Poems by Elizabeth Steinglass, Illustrations by Edson Ikê

Soccerverse is a children’s poetry collection that explores soccer through a wide range of poetic forms. You’ll find a concrete poem about the soccer ball (“Round / like the moon / sailing through space”), persona poems from the perspective of talking shin guards, and a brilliant reverso poem that highlights the different roles of players on the field, just to name a few. The poems also cover a wide emotional range, from the sweet taste of scoring a goal to the bitterness of shaking hands with a rude opponent. I love that this collection underscores how soccer functions as a universal language. The poems will motivate both young soccer players and young readers/writers to keep practicing and learning. 

You can watch/listen to poet Elizabeth Steinglass sharing some of the poems here. 

World Soccer Kings and Soccer Queens — Poems by Charles R. Smith Jr. 

In these two children’s poetry collections, Coretta Scott King Award winning author Charles R. Smith Jr. highlights the world’s greatest soccer stars in dynamic poems. Smith uses a variety of poetic forms to capture the essence of each star's playing style. For example, the poem about Mbappé (one of my personal favorite players!) highlights his speed with zippy race car language: “shifting / speeding / foot on the gas, / the Blue Blur / streaking / scorches the grass.” These collections are perfect for young soccer fans, who will delight in seeing their favorite players represented in verse. 

One thing I love about World Soccer Kings (because I am a huge poetry and soccer NERD) is the Notes section, where Smith provides details about each player and how he chose to write the poems based on the player’s attributes. These notes provide a pathway for young writers to explore writing their own poems about their favorite soccer stars.

Booked — Kwame Alexander 

Booked is a middle grade novel-in-verse that beautifully captures the rhythms of soccer and the fast pace of middle school life. This book is the followup to Kwame Alexander’s Newberry Medal and Coretta Scott King Award Honor winning verse novel The Crossover, but it can be read as a stand-alone book (that said, sports fans will love all of the books in The Crossover series!). Soccer plays a leading role in Booked, but it’s also about the shifting relationships, awkward moments, and big feelings that middle school kids know so well. 

If you’re a fan of audiobooks, I recommend the audio version, which is narrated by Kwame Alexander himself. Fans of graphic novels will also love the graphic novel adaptation of Booked, with illustrations by Dawud Anyabwile.

Now Try Writing Your Own Soccer Poems! 

Below you'll find some writing activities to get kids exploring soccer in their own words:

Soccer Haiku 

Start small and try writing soccer haiku. Can you capture one small scene from a soccer match? Start by connecting to your senses. Think of the sights, sounds, and smells of the pitch: how does it feel to be on the field? What actions do the players take? How do they move? Do they dash, slide, dive, glide? Now take one or two of these sensory details and write a haiku. I gave this a try and here’s what I came up with:  

Wide open net. 

Out of nowhere—diving reach!—

keeper makes the save.

Writing haiku about sports is fun because it gives you a chance to appreciate the beauty of one small moment. I recently came across one of my earliest poems, and it was a soccer haiku! Here’s me in sixth grade reflecting on my favorite sport: 

The soccer player

heads the ball past the goalie

and into the net

So simple, ha! But in its simplicity it provides such a clear step-by-step image of an action, a small moment of triumph unfolding in slo-mo. 

Footballer Tribute 

You can also write a poem about your favorite soccer player. Consider using Charles R. Smith Jr.’s book as a source of inspiration (see examples here). 

Once you’ve chosen a player, ask yourself some questions and make a list. What are the player’s distinctive attributes? What makes them so fun to watch? Does the player have a nickname? How might that name be worked into the poem? What do you admire most about the player’s skills and style? 

Once you have a list of ideas, try piecing together the most interesting phrases into a poetic portrait of your player. You might even consider making an acrostic poem using the player’s name or nickname. Acrostics can help provide a structure for your poem in order to help you get started. 

Remember that your favorite player probably has a lot of fun on the pitch, and likewise you can have fun on the page! 

What’s It Like to Play?

Finally, you might try writing a poem about your own experience playing soccer. Think of one of your greatest moments. Did you score a goal, help a teammate, or make a new friend? How can you share the excitement of that moment? Alternatively, you might think of one of your worst moments on the pitch. What happened and how did you bounce back? Try making a list of all of the details around you as play in a match. How does it feel to be out there on the pitch playing the game you love?

Here’s a small poem for kids that I wrote about the experience of being benched. I remember feeling frustrated when my coach would pull me out of a game. I felt terrible that I couldn’t contribute to my team. But of course, there’s always something we can do to help. This small poem is about finding your voice and supporting others even when you’re not in the spotlight.

Thank you for reading! You can find more of my poems for kids here on my website or here on YouTube. If you’d like to support the blog, consider ordering a zine, buying me a coffee, or signing up for my newsletter. Happy reading! 

My first year playing soccer (1997) and me supporting my local Portland Timbers (2025).