r/SpicyFootballTakes • • Jan 16 '26

👋 Welcome to r/SpicyFootballTakes

8 Upvotes

You’ve entered the "No-Safe-Zone" for football opinions. If you’ve ever been told your football takes are "delusional" or "clueless" in a group chat, congratulations—you're home.

This subreddit is dedicated to the opinions that make people's blood boil. We aren't here for "sensible analysis" or "boring stats." We are here for the bold, the provocative, and the slightly over-the-top claims that make the sport worth talking about.

How to play:

  1. Drop a Take: The more controversial, the better.
  2. Argue your case: Don't just drop the bomb and run. Tell us why you think the Premier League is a "farmers league."
  3. Don't take it personally: People are going to disagree with you. That’s the point. Keep it respectful, but feel free to be loud.

Current Scorch Level: What is one footballing opinion you hold that would genuinely lose you friends at the pub?


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 2h ago

Emptyhad

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329 Upvotes

Nothing short of embarrassing


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 7h ago

Neymar costed himself his Ballon D'or

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672 Upvotes

I see people talking about "oh he played during Messi Ronaldo era it was unfair" dude Harry Kane played for trophyless tottenham most of his life, he's only a year younger.

The staggering difference between Harry Kane and Neymar shows one thing, no matter how talented you are, if you don't work hard, you will lose to the person who goes at it again and again day in and day out, its rather inspirational really to see this happen in football


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 1h ago

Goat?

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• Upvotes

Why people just talk about messi and ronaldo when the goat debate happens,i really see r9 ,maradona , neymar,george best,cruffy,Zidane etc are just amezing and fav also,apart from that in my view why people don't talk about Ronaldinho.

He is the most skillfull,great dribbler and scorer also ,for me i consider ronaldinho as goat .

I know messi is greatest dribbler and cr7 is best goal scorer and skill player and i love both of them and enjoyed the both of them peak era's.

Don't you think that Ronaldinho is greatest of all time player 🤔?


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 22h ago

Unfortunately, I don't think history will be kind to Neymar. People are already starting to forget how good this man once was

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1.3k Upvotes

Sad to see one of the greatest dribblers of a football and such an iconic player slowly being forgotten like this. Messu and Ronaldo really did do a number on him, huh.


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 8h ago

Gyokeres does not deserve the stick that he gets.

63 Upvotes

To preface this, I am a Coventry fan. I will always have a place in my heart for Gyokeres so this isn’t a completely unbiased take.

But the things I see about him are ridiculous to me. I’ve been seeing slander from even his own fanbase from the second he made his debut. He gets no recognition when he performs, and last night I still see people hating on him for no apparent reason. “I don’t care he scored a goal” that’s one more thing than any other Arsenal player could do.

It’s not his fault that nobody creates for him. In 5 premier league games this season he has only had one shot. Meanwhile Havertz gets all the chances in the world, 14 shots in his 8 games. Yes, Gyokeres has been a sub for some of them but in the one game he started he got an assist.

His numbers are better than anyone recognises. Outperformed his xG last season. Goals every 161 minutes - better than Ekitike, Pedro, Welbeck, Watkins, Mbeumo, Palmer, Semenyo, etc. And still nobody appreciated him for it. Instead they focus on every time he makes any sort of mistake. But what does he do wrong? Never missed a penalty for Arsenal, scored in the CL final shootout, and in the semi final first leg. His “bad games” are due to his play style and the way Arsenal are set up. He’s not, and never was, as striker who was very involved in the build up. Keep giving him the ball in the box and he will score.

I really think he needs to leave Arsenal, not because he’s not good enough, but Arsenal isn’t really for him and he’s still making it work as well as he can and the spotlight really doesn’t help him.


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 10h ago

Online fans who have never or rarely been to stadium have a 2d understanding of the game.

62 Upvotes

I often come accross "x player does not shoot, or cross" "why would x player not just cross it there"

"How could player miss" "that was never a red card" (this one comes down to anyone who has played any level higher than the park with the boys).

And whilst you're there live, you see a completely different interpretation. I dont think those fans realisise how small and compresed a pitch is, how each player actually ocupies a lot of space, how when taking a goal kick, everyone rushes to one corner etc.

Anyway, some takes are just based on a 2d reality.


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 11h ago

This was the PsG mbappe had..

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60 Upvotes

Mbappe was not even playing as a forward or a striker when PSG was getting knocked out by Bayern..

But now since he is gone people act like he was the problem??


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 1h ago

If a player drops and makes signs of pain only to get back up 10 seconds later they should get booked

• Upvotes

Confuses me to no end that obvious dives are a yellow but going down in pain only to get right back up because play is continuing isnt. It's embarrassing.


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 3h ago

I don't wanna hear people in 10 years saying Neymar was better than Kane, Mbappe, Yamal etc. when they will all clearly have a better career and peak than him (Mbappe and Kane already peaked higher imo).

7 Upvotes

Neymar is like 1 year older than Kane. While Neymar is WASHED, Kane is more or less peaking. They will say "but, but Neymar played in the Messi and CR7 era". I feel like this excuse shouldn't be allowed. Neymar got several injuries before his body couldn't keep up anymore, yes.But it is known that he didn't take good care of his body as well.

Now this may sound like i hate Neymar, i don't. He was obviously an all time player at his peak, but people should realize that you can be a great player and still be overrated by the mass and i feel like Neymar gets a lot of passes other players aren't getting...


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 1d ago

Genuinely how are people hating on Saka for helping innocent children? There’s hate and then there’s mental illness, he could cure cancer and people could hate him. What begs man.

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542 Upvotes

Not an Arsenal fan but I respect Saka and ppl hating on him are stupid asl


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 53m ago

PSG will begin their decline as soon as Dembele and Ruiz leave or decline.

• Upvotes

Despite all the injuries, Dembele is still their best attacker. People love to underestimate him, but when he's in form, he's deadly. Dribbling, playmaking, carrying, speed, shooting, both left and right. With the way Luis Enrique's PSG team plays, he's the perfect striker. There's no one who can replace him while maintaining this style of play.

Fabian is also a complete player. He's PSG's best playmaker. Vitinha is very good under pressure (as is Ruiz), but Ruiz adds physicality and has a superior passing range. It's no coincidence that the Ruiz-Vitinha-Neves midfield works, but with Bruno does not. Ruiz is a true midfielder, Bruno is not. He's good at spamming balls forward, but controlling the game and knowing when to slow it down and speed it up isn't in Bruno style.


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 4h ago

How Mbappe bottled the Ballon Dor

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9 Upvotes

In these 2 games, Mbappe dropped massive stinkers which led to his team losing

This was just before the deadline closed and considering the vote difference between Mbappe and Kane was tiny

This idiot really bottled the Ballon Dor by ghosting in these 2 games. It’s hilarious


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 3h ago

The comparison between Harry Kane 2026 and Haaland 2023

6 Upvotes

I've been seeing a lot of posts where people say that, since Harry Kane won this Ballon d'Or, it means the 2023 Ballon d'Or was stolen. Here's some quick context: Messi won the Ballon d'Or because of his World Cup performance, and this year, none of the players who won the World Cup won the Ballon d'Or. As a result, people think the World Cup doesn't matter as much as they thought and that it was only given so Messi could win.

Well, to start with, Haaland was one of the strongest candidates to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or because he had an incredible club season, winning not only the Champions League but also other trophies such as the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup. He also won individual awards, including being the top scorer in both the Champions League and the Premier League, as well as winning the European Golden Shoe. The only problem was that Norway didn't qualify for the World Cup, unlike England in 2026.

What I'm trying to say is that Harry Kane not only had a good club season but also performed well at the World Cup. He won the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal, and on top of that, he finished as the second-highest scorer in the previous Champions League campaign, just one goal behind MbappĂŠ, while Bayern Munich reached the semifinals. Meanwhile, with England, Harry Kane reached the World Cup semifinals, losing only to Argentina throughout the tournament, and he also finished fifth or sixth among the tournament's top scorers. What I'm trying to say is that if you're going to compare a current player to the "2023 Haaland," the most logical comparison would be Kvaratskhelia, who had an excellent club season but didn't play in the World Cup.

Messi, during the 2022–2023 season, won the World Cup, where he was the best player and the second-top scorer, just one goal behind Mbappé. He also won Ligue 1 and the Leagues Cup, and his individual statistics (goals + assists) were still good.

Just keep in mind that the World Cup carries a lot of weight when choosing the Ballon d'Or winner because a player can only play in a maximum of six World Cups throughout their career, whereas the Champions League takes place every year. Why do you think Rodri finished in fourth place despite not scoring any goals or providing any assists? It's simply because he won the World Cup's Best Player award (although I think Messi or even MbappĂŠ deserved it more). If Lamine had performed well at the World Cup, considering he was already a key player in the Spanish Super Cup and La Liga, it would have been pretty obvious that he would have won it. Also, Iniesta finished in 2nd place in the 2010 Ballon d'Or just for winning the World Cup, but his stats were really lacking at his club and in the World Cup. If Iniesta had won that ballon door is the equivalent as if Ferran Torres would be chosen over Harry Kane 2026 just for his one goal in the final.

In other words, Messi did deserve the 2023 Ballon d'Or because he had an excellent World Cup and a good club season. Meanwhile, Haaland had the best club season but didn't play a single match at the World Cup. However, it's worth emphasizing that if Haaland had qualified for the World Cup and reached the round of 16, or even just made it to the group stage, he would have had a very good chance of winning it.


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 12h ago

People have started underestimating how prestigious, culturally significant and mentally demanding a WorldCup tournament is

31 Upvotes

In recent years, Ronaldo fans have started discrediting the entire World Cup just to downplay Messi winning it. Like bitch, are we actually doing this? 😭😭

The World Cup is THE most prestigious tournament in the entire sporting world not just football, and it's not even close in terms of cultural significance. My grandmother, who lives under a literal rock and barely watches TV, knows when the World Cup is happening. That's how big this shit is.

Football is a whole different thing in countries like Argentina and Brazil. It's not just a sport; it's literally part of their identity. Players have been killed, vilified, and hated by an entire nation over their performances. Just ask the family of AndrĂŠs Escobar, who was murdered in Colombia in 1994, following his own goal at that year's World Cup. Ask HiguaĂ­n how it feels to be ridiculed for over a decade because of missed chances in finals. Ask the French how they still wonder what would've happened in 2006 if Zidane hadn't headbutted Materazzi. These moments become part of a country's history, and the players involved have to live with them for the rest of their lives.

And that's what people don't understand about the World Cup. The pressure is on a completely different level. You get one shot every four years, and sometimes your entire country's hopes rest on your shoulders. You fuck up, and there's no next season to make things right. No transfer to a different club. No UCL next year to distract everyone. You might not even get another chance at the tournament.

Compare that to the UCL. Obviously, it's an elite competition, and winning it is an incredible achievement. But let's not pretend the mental pressure is anywhere near the same. You miss a penalty in a UCL knockout game, and you'll get trolled for a year or two before people move on. Unless you're Gabriel, apparently. 💀

But win a World Cup for your country, and you're immortal. Generations will remember you. Your name becomes part of your country's footballing history. You're not just a footballer anymore; you're a national hero.

**You can win 10 UCLs and still never experience what it means to bring a World Cup home to your country.** The UCL is the pinnacle of club football, but the World Cup is something else entirely. They're not the same thing, and pretending otherwise just because your favourite player never won one is pure cope.


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 4h ago

In terms of all time greatness, Romario is ahead of R9.

6 Upvotes

r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 1h ago

If by some miracle fleet Wood went on a run and won the League cup where would in rank in all time football underdog runs?

• Upvotes

r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 14h ago

MbappĂŠ's career if you take away the World Cup 2018

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29 Upvotes

r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 16h ago

Imagine having a maradona level wc tournament and people still questioning why you came 5th

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50 Upvotes

r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 1d ago

I am no longer ever hearing Arsenal has the worst fan base after seeing United & Chelsea fans clown Saka for helping kids in need

517 Upvotes

“Ahhh but their fans are delusional” literally every fanbase in the big 6 has delusional fans I heard fans say Lisandro Martinez is better than Gabriel & Konate is better than Saliba, but forget all that for a second

Clowning Saka for winning a Socrates award is all new low, people can’t escape their football tribalism for 3 seconds to actually see a man’s helped poor kids in need there’s no way Arsenal fans are worse than them


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 22m ago

Salah should’ve won the ballon dor in 2025

• Upvotes

He had the greatest premier league season of all time and finished 4th…..
Dembele and psg could rest whenever they wanted while Salah started every single game in the league and ucl and to do what he did in the premier league which is the best league in the world and not even finish on the podium is ridiculous. When choosing a winner in these ballon dors I think that the league they play should always come into ranking.

It’s pretty sad that he is going to retire without a ballon dor.


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 30m ago

Top 10 Individual Season in the Modern Era

• Upvotes

1. 2011/2012 Lionel Messi:

2. 2014/2015 Lionel Messi

3. 2011/2012 Cristiano Ronaldo

4. 2010/2011 Lionel Messi

5. 2013/2014 Cristiano Ronaldo

  1. 1996/1997 Ronaldo Nazairo

7. 2019/2020 Lewandowski

8. 2015/2016 Luis Suarez

9 2014/2015 Cristiano Ronaldo

10. 2018/2019 Lionel Messi


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 9h ago

Messi at 39 > better than some great players 20s

11 Upvotes

r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 43m ago

Real Madrid have been playing the Negreira game all season long to put pressure on the referees and play nasty football on Sunday

• Upvotes

Tchouameni, Bernardo Silva and Cucurella’s game were just simply nasty and they should have been sent off or shown a yellow card before the end of the first half


r/SpicyFootballTakes • • 6h ago

Explain why this was not a red

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4 Upvotes