The Internet is home to all kinds of online soccer games, just waiting for you to waste a few minutes/hours/days of your life. You could avoid them and do some proper work, but where’s the fun in that?
So, in the name of Paste Soccer research, I spent countless work hours playing the seemingly endless list of soccer-themed games, weeding out the inferior options (looking at you Stickman Soccer 2), and assembling the 11 best soccer games that you can play online for free.
1. Goalkeeper Premier
Finally experience the thrill and excitement of having shots rain down on you as you attempt to keep your English club alive in the prestigiously named “The Tournament.” The rules are simple: move the gloves to the correct position in time to save your opponent’s shot. Three saves in a row equals one goal.
Addiction Scale: 4/5
2. Jumpers for Goalposts 4
Sign for a club, train hard, go out on the town, get a girlfriend, and (hopefully) work your way up the league system in the newest edition of this classic time waster. Only this game could make signing for a League One side incredibly exciting.
Addiction Scale: 5/5
3. Soccer Balls 2
It’s like Angry Birds, only if a major component of Angry Birds were kicking soccer balls into referee’s faces. It’s an addictive online option, but it does get repetitive fairly quickly. Still, Soccer Balls 2 is a great way to waste those last 15-20 minutes of a workday.
Addiction Scale: 3.5/5
4. Soccer Pro
Take control of a Leo Messi-esque midfielder and guide him through increasingly competent waves of defenders. If you make it to the shooting area, you have a set amount of time and specific conditions in which you can score. Loses addiction points for a lack of flexibility, as the levels and settings stay more or less the same.
Addiction Scale: 3/5
5. SpeedPlay World Soccer 3
One of the few 11-a-side entries on this list, SPWS3 allows the user to take control of a World Cup team and guide it to some silverware. The passing and shooting components can take some getting used to, but the game itself represents a great way to relive this summer’s tournament (and punish Belgium with the USA by winning 11-0).
Addiction Scale: 3.5/5
6. Sports Heads: Football Championship 2014
For those of you out there who still feel that the greatest soccer game of all time is Slime Soccer, say hello to its ‘roided out equivalent. This version allows you to take control of your favorite Premiership team (one player represents each club) and guide it through a league season of head-to-head challenges, all the while collecting power-ups and dodging penalties.
Addiction Scale: 4/5
7. The Champions 4
A five-aside arena-style game, TC4 allows a player to create a team and then challenge different countries in their own backyard (a la Street Fighter). Purchase power-ups to improve performance and prove that you’re the dominant team both on land and at sea (yeah, you play soccer against pirates).
Addiction Scale: 3.5/5
8. Ultimate Football Management 2013-14
It’s like an free/lite/unofficial version of Football Manager (note the ever so subtle, lawsuit-proof name change) but it’s just as addictive as the real thing. Take control of a club (Premiership, La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A are all options), transfer players, design your tactics, and control your team throughout an entire season. It’s worth noting that there is a 2014-15 version, but it uses fake names, which makes it slightly less enjoyable.
Addiction Scale: 6/5
9. New Star Soccer
It’s a striker’s dream! Although it may be one of the least exciting when it comes to graphics, this game will suck you in completely. Score as many goals as you can from a variety of different angles and scenarios. Your opportunities will get increasingly complicated the further you advance (35 yards out, in the rain, with three defenders in front of you). The timing and placement take a little time to master, but from then on it’s a black hole of productivity.
Addiction Scale: 4/5
10. Zombie Soccer
Made famous when Jim Halpert from The Office accidentally played the game for two hours without realizing it, this one is particularly addicting. Use a variety of different balls (frozen, metal, exploding, etc) to literally obliterate your opponents, and finish them off with a goal to advance to the next round.
Addiction Scale: 5/5
11. Roby Baggio’s Magical Kicks Version 2.0
In the 1990s, Italian playmaker Roberto Baggio was famous for his beautifully bendy free-kicks, and so Roby Baggio’s Magical Kicks invites you to emulate the ponytailed genius. With just three clicks of your mouse—one for power, one for direction, one for bend—you have to strike a free-kick good enough to beat the wall, the goalkeeper, the defender on the line and, your biggest enemy, the wind. As you progress, the keepers get better, the ball and wall placement gets tougher, and the wind gets more severe, and you’re always just about to figure out how to score this time …
Addiction Scale: 5/5