Six in ten men admit LYING about their football skills – with many bragging about phantom worldies, fake hat-tricks and even comparing themselves to Ronaldo. A poll of 1,000 men found 59 per cent have fibbed about their ability on the pitch – from adding goals to match reports, to pretending they were once scouted.
One in five (22 per cent) confessed to “massively exaggerating” their talent, while more than a third (37 per cent) admitted stretching the truth once or twice. And it seems Britain is full of “pub Pelés”, as a third (34 per cent) claim they’ve scored a wondergoal nobody actually saw.
The research was commissioned by TOCA Social – the interactive football and social entertainment venue, with three locations across the UK – to coincide with the launch of its new “My First Time” campaign, celebrating the unforgettable first-time football experiences that fans love to share (and sometimes exaggerate).
Another third of those surveyed admit to stealing credit for an own goal or deflection, while almost as many (30 per cent) say they’ve bragged about winning a penalty by diving.
And a quarter (26 per cent) have fibbed about football to impress a date – with many embellishing goals, assists and even their playing level to win over a partner.
Comparisons to the pros are rife too – one in five men (19 per cent) say they’ve likened themselves to a professional footballer. Among them, 10 per cent reckon they’re like Cristiano Ronaldo, seven per cent Lionel Messi, eight per cent David Beckham and four per cent Harry Kane.
Alex Harman, President of TOCA Social, said: “The idea that one in five men genuinely compare themselves to Ronaldo or Messi shows how deeply football lives in our imaginations.”
Meanwhile, nearly one in five (19 per cent) have actually said the words: “I could’ve gone pro if it wasn’t for bad luck” – and another 24 per cent secretly believe it.
Excuses are another favourite trick of Britain’s blagging ballers – with the most common being lack of fitness (17 per cent), dodgy pitches (17 per cent), terrible referees (16 per cent), hangovers (14 per cent) and even the wrong boots (nine per cent).
More than one in five (22 per cent) have claimed to score in front of a bigger crowd than they actually did, while 36 per cent admit adding extra goals or assists when retelling their performance.
And 29 per cent say they’ve claimed to be “injured” to cover up either being dropped or playing badly.
Some fibs are even more far-fetched – 18 per cent admit to saying they’d been spotted by a scout, when they hadn’t, while 12 per cent have falsely claimed a famous footballer noticed their talent.
When it comes to reasons for bragging, 20 per cent do it to impress mates, 16 per cent to impress a date or partner, 11 per cent to look good at work and 21 per cent just to wind up rivals.
The study also found one in 10 men don’t actually understand the offside rule – but still pretend they do.
Alex Harman added: “Football fibs are part of the fun – the truth is, Brits love a football fib almost as much as the game itself. But at TOCA Social we believe the best stories start with those unforgettable first kicks and first goals. That’s why our My First Time campaign gives everyone the chance to step up, take a shot, and create their own real moment worth talking about.”
TOCA Social’s My First Time campaign is all about those magical first moments in football that you never forget – and never stop talking about.
On Thursday 25th September, across all three of its venues, The O2 in London, Westfield, White City, Bullring in Birmingham, TOCA Social is helping 100 lucky first-timers at each of its venues take their very first shot by offering a whopping 90% off their football games box. Whether you’ve never kicked a ball in your life or never played at TOCA before, this is your chance to step onto the pitch, strike a ball, and make your first time unforgettable.
Head to the website to grab your 90% off the TOCA experience: https://www.toca.social/whats-on/my-first-time
Top 10 Football Fibs Told by British Men
1. 59% of British men admit lying about their football skills.
2. 34% claim they’ve scored a wondergoal nobody actually saw.
3. 34% admit stealing credit for an own goal or deflection.
4. 30% boast about winning a penalty by diving.
5. 26% have lied about football to impress a date.
6. 22% confessed to massively exaggerating their talent.
7. 19% insist they “could’ve gone pro if it wasn’t for bad luck.”
8. 19% compare themselves to the pros – including 10% who reckon they’re Ronaldo and 7% Messi.
9. 17% exaggerate stories about meeting football stars – while 6% flat-out lied that they’d met one.
10. 10% admit bluffing their way through the offside rule.
