This article was originally published on MvpMode
He's Not Like Other Guys
Soccer gets a lot of complaints from some fans because it's such a low-scoring sport, especially compared to other favorites like basketball. But in our opinion, that's what makes it so exciting. Half the fun is waiting for someone to score a goal and all of the built-up suspense that comes with that. And then you have players like Lionel Messi who just go in and turn the sport on its head. This dude doesn't believe in moderation.
Okay, so we don't actually know how Lionel Messi feels about moderation. But we do know his average amount of goals per game is one-of-a-kind.
The Leftover Fish Is Done for by Now
This meme is pretty on point, but we imagine losing a game is more heartbreaking than realizing you left your leftovers at the restaurant. Still, this pretty much sums up that feeling. You just hate yourself for forgetting and proceed to give up all hope in life. It's only a few hours later that you come to your senses and remind yourself that it's no big deal; you can cook yourself something for your next meal.
Now, if you're in the situation these players are in and drop a game, there is nothing you can do besides put your hands over your head and go into surrender cobra mode.
We're Not Here to Judge, but...
Like with any other sport, in soccer, different teams are known for different tactics. Some prefer to be aggressive, while others focus on smothering opposing offenses. Then, you have teams that spend most of their budget on one player, as this meme implies. But is that really something to be ashamed of when the player you're relying on and passing to the entire game is named Cristiano Ronaldo? We don't think so.
He's one of the best to ever play the game, and honestly, it'd be confusing if the team didn't pass it to him every chance they had. Still, we suppose they could develop their own identity while also making great use of Ronaldo.
"Is the Ref Looking Yet? "
Soccer is pretty notorious for its players faking injuries to try and draw a penalty. It's such a common occurrence that some leagues have added more refs in recent years to try and clamp down on the practice. So it was no surprise that after this photo of Neymar was taken in 2018, it became a meme to make fun of players faking or over-dramatizing incidents. We got to hand it to him - he's a good athlete and a good actor.
It's hard to say that he was faking anything just by looking at this photo - he looks like he's in serious pain. But then again, we've seen enough soccer matches to know better than to believe everything we see.
He'll Be Telling His Mom All About This Later
Manager Maurizio Sarri is no stranger to being memeified. During his time with Chelsea in 2018 and 2019, people poked fun at him for his different habits, such as smoking. However, in this photo, he's just in a really memeable posture. It's almost too easy, really. We're not sure what he's looking at or why he has his arms crossed, but someone else noticed it and turned this seemingly dull photo into a stellar meme.
Sarri also looks slightly surprised in this picture, which makes it even better. We can almost imagine him actually saying something like this and making the same gestures.
Cha Cha to the Right
Craig Cathcart and his Watford F.C. teammate decided it was time for some dancing in the middle of this game against Tottenham in 2019. We can't really blame them. We'd probably switch things up a bit, too, if we were facing Heung-Min Son. The effort Cathcart goes to in this photo to get clear of his opponent's shot is kind of striking, at least enough to become a meme.
These players probably couldn't have done a better flamenco impression if they tried, which is why we love these sports shots. They manage to capture people in ways they never imagined themselves.
It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's... Anthony Martial
This might be the most emotion French athlete Anthony Martial has ever shown in a photo, but it definitely wasn't intentional. This photo was taken during a 2019 match between Manchester United and Tottenham. Martial went up for a header, much to Christian Eriksen's surprise; he went so high that all Eriksen could really do was look on. Even Martial's teammate looks a bit stunned that he could get this much air.
But for whatever reason, the fans in the background don't look too impressed. Maybe they would've been more interested if they'd known this would turn into a meme.
Mastercard's Next Commercial Be Like
We've pretty much covered everyone in this meme so far, except for Luis Suárez in the top left. These are some of the highest-paid athletes in the sport, and this meme is poking fun at the fact that all that money still can't buy as much talent as Messi has. Whether you agree with that or not is probably up to whether you're a die-hard Messi fan or not.
Still, there's no denying that all of the players in this meme are super talented. That's why they make as much money as they do — millions of dollars in a lot of cases.
The Delivery Man Is Suddenly Our Bestie
There are few things as great as when the pizza shows up and you're just getting ready to watch the game. And this meme sums up that feeling perfectly. Ronaldo and the boys are celebrating a goal or a win - or maybe the pizza just showed up at the stadium. We can't remember exactly what happened here, but it's safe to say that this photo captured them in a great mood.
Honestly, this photo could be used for memes about anything you do with the boys, whether it's getting ready for a night out or winning a title.
A Little Kicking Here, a Little Nibble There
Luis Suárez is a great player, but the guy has one weird habit (that we know of). He really likes to bite people during games. Now, nobody knows whether this is because of something that happened in his past or if it's just a recently developed habit. But he's said that during games, he gets so pumped up that he can't help but try to take a chunk out of someone.
We suppose it probably freaks the opposing team out a little bit. But it has also earned him a couple of suspensions, so there's definitely a trade-off to tactics like this.
"Don't Look, Don't Look"
Some people are just better at being discreet than others. We are not some of those people, and we probably look something like this when we're trying to tell someone something on the down low. However, we get why Ronaldo is doing this. If he doesn't, then he's going to have a couple of dozen lip readers trying to figure out what he's saying and then turning around and making a YouTube video out of it the next day.
Still, nothing says, "Hey, I've got a secret to tell," quite like putting your hand over your mouth and side-eyeing your homie.
Fashion Policing Right From the Field
Welsh footballer Gareth Bale was caught looking into the stands when this photo was snapped. We're not exactly sure what he was looking at, but something out there certainly caught his attention. It's hard to say if the face he's making in this photo is one of disappointment or just sheer curiosity, but the meme points to the former. We're sure he probably wishes he could take this one moment back since it became a viral meme.
Our favorite out of the many memes to come out of the funny image is this one: "You really wore that to my game?" Who knew Gareth was such a fashion police?
Sometimes It Feels Like That's All It Takes
Opposing fans may sometimes despise one another so much that it borders on hate, but there's one thing that pretty much every fan of soccer — or pretty much any sport — can agree on: nobody is a fan of the refs. And we're not trying to defend them, but the truth is that it's difficult to be a referee for any sport. You have to make split decisions all night long, you have to memorize an entire rulebook, and even if you do all of that, you're never going to please everyone.
Still, they certainly do make it hard to be sympathetic toward them, don't they? So we can't help but laugh at this meme that compares applying for a ref job to winning one round of Simon Says.
As Liam Neeson Said, "I Have A Very Particular Set Of Skills"
Would this meme really work with anyone besides Lionel Messi? We don't think so. Messi smashes records almost as regularly as Liam Neeson's character smashes faces in the Taken series (which, if you didn't know, is where this meme's message came from). If you're a soccer player trying to set or break a record, it might just be best to wait until Messi fully retires, or else all your hard work might ultimately be in vain.
Messi is just going to come for that record as if it were his daughter, and someone just kidnapped her and is holding her for ransom somewhere off the coast of an expensive European city.
Of Course It Was Between the Couch Cushions
This meme is more for those who watch and play the game, but it could also apply to anyone who ever lost their phone, keys, or remote control at home. Gareth Bale's expression in this photo just makes any random item work in place of a shin guard. It's that look of triumph we all know, and what deserves a celebration more than when you finally find the television remote hidden deep between couch cushions and old popcorn pieces?
We'd probably make a face similar to this one and go running around the house like we just scored a goal and were being paid millions of dollars to do so.
When Team Bonding Goes Too Far and the Players Become One
It's hard to be a photographer. Sometimes, something like this happens even when you think you have a perfect shot lined up. Someone took this picture when Dutch footballer Frenkie de Jong celebrated with his teammates, probably after scoring a goal. It looks like the popular athlete is missing the lower half of his body, but of course, that can't be true if he just scored a goal or if he's out on the field at all.
The angle at which the photo was taken makes it seem like most of his body is missing. And he can thank the photographer for making it look that way and turning him into a meme.
"Please Don't Make Me Do It"
There are a couple of memes on this list focusing on Ronaldo - and there is definitely some truth to them. Some poke fun at how much Ronaldo's team relies on him for winning, and others poke fun at Ronaldo for always keeping the ball to himself - a habit he doesn't deny. "I've always had a good relationship with the ball," the iconic athlete said when the New York Times asked about his ball-hogging reputation.
You can look at that quote in one of two different ways: he's full of himself, or he's just confident in his abilities. We think that his record speaks for itself.
When All Else Fails, Kick Your Opponent In The Face
While yes, there are a lot of fake injuries in soccer, there are also a lot of pretty horrific accidents. After all, these players run at full speed with cleats trying to kick a ball. Every now and then, one of those slides or kicks will hit a shin or worse. However, we've never seen someone take a flying kick directly to the face like this player looks prepared to do.
More often than not, kicks happen below the belt in soccer. Still, this is a pretty impressive display of skills — both soccer skills and whatever martial arts this is inspired by.
"If I Just Get One Bite He Won't Want It Anymore"
There's a lot of grabbing going on in this photo, and we'd be surprised if Messi didn't draw a penalty for this. That said, it probably wouldn't have mattered anyway. He's one of the best players in the world, and it doesn't matter if he wants the last slice of pizza or the ball; he's usually going to get it. And from this photo, it looks like he eventually came out on top.
If you're ever in a similar position with slightly less on the line — say, like a slice of pizza — then just take some pointers from this photo and Messi's positioning here.
"And It's Not Just Cause You're My Son"
This is probably one of the most wholesome memes on this list. Just look at the expression on Neymar's face. It's a long way away from the one he makes when he's taking a dive. He probably just scored a goal right before this photo was taken. But it's the text on this meme that makes it all so relatable: When your mom calls you the most handsome soccer player ever.
On an unrelated note, it's nice to see a Neymar meme that shows a smile and celebration, as his other memes usually show him grimacing right after he has taken a hit and sustained an "injury."
This Is Sparta!
We're not entirely sure if this meme is saying that defenders run away when Messi is coming at them or if they charge straight in, but no matter which way they're going, we're sure this is the look on their faces. Okay, fine; the image used for this meme is one of Sergio Ramos after scoring a goal. But you can't deny that this mixed look of excitement, fear, and sadness is probably what defenders feel when they see Messi.
Seriously, we'd probably pee our pants if we had to confront him, and our team was depending on us to stop his goal.
"Xoxo, Eden"
We can't help but feel sorry for Belgian footballer Eden Hazard in this photo. The guy looks so bummed out. This meme basically stemmed from him going an entire year without scoring a single goal. When he was asked about it, he said that "For me, football is like this: I go on the pitch, and I try to enjoy it. I do not look at statistics, I do not look at goals, I just want to go on the pitch," during an interview with Chelsea Magazine.
Luckily, he did eventually break the drought. We just wish we could read whatever it was he wrote in his diary the night he finally scored a goal.
Anyone Want to Carpool?
We know Lionel Messi wouldn't actually need to ask anyone else for a ride home. There's no telling how many expensive sports cars he has just sitting around his garage. However, you can't help but feel bad for him when you see his face and read this meme. The poor dude really does look like he's the last one at practice, and his mom is off recovering from a long night or something.
Messi looks dazed and confused in this photo, which makes us wonder what is happening. He rarely looks as if he isn't sure what's going on during a game.
It Came in Like a Wrecking Ball
While soccer might not be the most physical contact sport in the world, things can still get pretty nasty. This photo was taken during a game between Dynamo Brest and Isloch in the Belarusian Premier League. We imagine that both players are attempting to hit an incoming ball with their heads, but we also wouldn't be surprised if the player on the far right just said screw it and is instead trying to take out his opponent.
He's in a bad position to get to the ball, so that's really his only chance. Still, we can't imagine this ended up feeling too good for either player afterward.
When You Just Want to Make Coach Proud
This meme pretty much sums up any job experience. It shows a goalie blocking shots in the photo on the left when the coach isn't looking, while he's missing them in the photo on the right. Why do people and bosses only seem to be paying attention when someone isn't performing their best? We don't know, but we're glad that soccer players go through the same thing, even if their job is much more fun overall.
However, at least coaches can go back and watch the tape; our bosses aren't going to go back and watch security cameras just to see if we're doing a good job.
"No Man, I Can't Go Out Tonight"
We aren't sure what's happening with Mesut Ozil in this photo, but it doesn't look like it's something good. The guy looks like he's just seen a ghost or like his mother really is out in the stands calling him by his full name. Either way, Ozil looks struck in this photo. It's also possible that a photographer just happened to catch the one second when he had an awkward facial expression.
However, we like the image of his mom out in the stands somewhere and him realizing he's about to get it much better, so we're going to stick with that.
"Now Your Mom HAS to Say Yes"
Thailand's national team was down by two points back with one minute to go in 2016 when Theerathon Bunmathan got the word — his mom said that the boys could stay the night. That's not actually what happened, but this meme does pretty much sum up that same feeling. When you were a kid, and you were waiting on that one parent to confirm you could have a sleepover, it kind of felt like this when that "yes" eventually came through.
It was like you and the boys were getting pumped to have an all-nighter, head out to some wild party, or even win the AFF Suzuki Cup.
When You're Just Built Different
This player needs no introduction. Lionel Messi is one of the best ever to play the game, and this meme would only truly work with him in it. One of the best things about soccer is the suspense you get watching it. And that suspense is there because the teams score much less than in other sports. However, Messi just shows up and pretty much breaks the game every time he walks out onto the field.
The dude just scores as if he were playing against competition an entire league below him, and half the time, maybe he actually is. If Dos Equis ever needs a new representative for their commercials, then they should seriously consider giving Messi a call.
The Angels Also Gave Him Eyes in the Back of His Head
Number 7 must've been playing like a man possessed in order to pull off a header like this. It looks like the ball was coming from behind him when he turned around at the last second and managed to make contact. That's what the meme alludes to, as well. It even looks as though the opposing players were surprised he managed to make this header, as they're all looking back.
We're not really sure if this shot actually made a difference or not to the game as a whole, but it's still a pretty cool sight to behold.
That's What We Call Philanthropy
This meme is pretty hilarious. A lot of soccer plays make truckloads of money, so much so that most of us wouldn't even know what to do with all of it. But not Zlatan Ibrahimović; he's taken a firm stance in donating all of his money to himself. And why not? He's earned it. Sure, he could probably set up his own charity, but those types of things are just for the tax benefits anyway.
And if you're curious where this meme came from, it was from an interview in which he was asked if he would donate some of his salary. He answered, "Who is most deserving of all of the money that I, Zlatan, am paid? The answer is Zlatan."
Should Probably Tie That
Team U.S.A player Alex Morgan was just doing her thing during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup when someone decided to take this photo and make it into a meme. The photo is cut off, and she's actually kicking around the ball, but it also does sort of look like she just noticed her shoe was untied mid-game. We're not even fully sure what you'd do at that point.
Would you call time out and risk losing momentum in the game, or would you just keep playing and risk tripping over your own shoelaces? Or would the refs call a time-out for you?
When Your BFF Needs a Little Pick-Me-Up
Lionel Messi is many things, most of which are great. However, he's obviously not used to making victory gestures with his hands in the shape of a heart. We love Messi, but this photo is just plain awkward. He looks so serious while he's making this sign that's supposed to signify love. Not only that, but he also looks like he's mad in this photo. Basically, we're really confused by what's happening here.
What's more likely is that he just saw his buddy was sad because he missed a goal or something, and Messi went in to cheer him up, just as the meme implies.
When You Always Forget Your Right From Left
Sometimes players get confused, and who can blame them? Soccer has a big field, and it's easy to get confused. Every now and then, you just get a little bit lost. Actually, not really. This is Robert Lewandowski, and he's a pretty good player. He isn't about to accidentally shoot into his own goal, but the meme is hilarious nonetheless. Lewandowski really looks like he's asking the coach for directions.
We're not entirely sure what he was doing here, but maybe he was just trying to make a joke or signaling for something. He definitely wasn't asking for directions.
"Mom Said I Could Use It, Too"
Norwich City's Kenny McLean was chasing Andreas Pereira of Manchester United during a game in 2019 when this photo was taken. Now, we're sure McLean wasn't asking for the ball back like this meme portrays, but he might as well have been. This is exactly the feeling you get when one of your siblings takes something that belongs to you. You quickly give chase and hope you can manage to trip them up somehow.
And if you're curious, Manchester United ended up taking the match. McLean and the rest of the team were asking for the ball back the entire night.
Does The Ball Go In The Net Or...?
The Netherlands' Anouk Dekker and Canada's Christine Sinclair are battling it out in this photo while they both slide to the sidelines. It might look like these two aren't really doing much, but fighting over the ball all the way past the boundaries shows some spirit. It also helps that both of these players are at the top of their games. This particular photo was taken during the 2019 Women's FIFA World Cup.
We're not sure if this little scuffle drew a penalty or not, but it certainly looks like it should've, at least more so than some of Neymar's "incidents."
"I Hardly Even Touched Her"
U.S.A. national team player Tobin Heath looks like she was waiting for the ref to make a decision here. We're not exactly sure if the opposing player is taking a dive, but that's a possibility. However, the look on Heath's face seems to suggest that maybe she did do something wrong, or else she would be throwing her hands up in frustration, not waiting for the ref to issue a penalty.
Either way, we can relate to this meme. Sometimes your siblings would make an accident seem worse than it actually was, and sometimes they would legitimately be hurt.
Soccer Versus Football
This is probably how every soccer fan feels when they meet someone and they start talking about American football. The two sports share one thing in common, and that is name only. That's not to say that American football is bad because it's not. In fact, it's pretty awesome. However, there's just some disappointment when you're a soccer fan and you're getting ready to talk sports only to find out someone is actually talking about a sport you don't watch.
Neither sport is better than the other. They're just both different. At least, that's what we're going with so that we don't upset either side. You can have your own opinions.
Oh Messi, You're Making Us Blush
This is the great thing about team sports. They bring people together. Even if it isn't Messi himself asking you to come to play, you're going to get excited every time you step out onto the field. Of course, that would also be pretty awesome if it were Messi asking you to come to play some soccer. Or, it might be terrifying, considering how good he is; we're not entirely sure.
Still, our point stands. Team sports are awesome, and so is this meme. Also, so is Messi. We just aren't sure we'd want to meet him out on the field.
When You Just Can't Help But Be Awesome
Ronaldo is probably one of the easiest soccer players out there to meme. He just has so many moments and so many different expressions that it's almost too easy. It also doesn't hurt that the guy is a living legend, meaning he's always front and center in the soccer world. If you were to go out and search for Ronaldo memes right now, you'd get hundreds, maybe even thousands, of results.
So, this meme is fitting, both for Ronaldo and for this list. And we're sure that he's going to be around long enough to ensure that a couple more thousand memes involving him are made.
It's No Wonder They Get Paid the Big Bucks
Don't get us wrong; it'd be amazing to be a professional soccer player. However, we don't think that's exactly what this meme is referring to. Instead, we think it's referring to something else that involves much more pain, and we can only imagine much lower pay. Still, the photo they used for this meme is pretty spot on. The goalie looks like he's about to take a ball to the face.
That said, kicking soccer balls during professional games would be a pretty fun job, not to mention you'd probably be making millions of dollars to do so if you were really good at it.