Soccer Player Resume | Examples, Tips & Templates

A well-written resume is vital in securing a position in a soccer team managed by professional management.

In this article, we take you through a step-by-step process of writing a resume that can convince your hiring manager and the team management.

Here, you’ll find:

• Complete soccer player resume examples that you could copy.
• A guide to writing each section of your resume step-by-step.
• Pro soccer resume tips to stand out among hundreds of players.

If the clock is ticking and a position in your favorite team is open, don’t spend days creating your resume. Try one of our ready-to-fill resume templates to create a modern sports resume in 10 minutes.

How to Write a Soccer Player Resume from Scratch?

Even an intense soccer match that is totally unpredictable starts with a strategy that is planned well before the match.

Your soccer player resume needs just that – a plan to take the reader on a journey that convinces them of your worth to the team – make them want to meet you and talk further.

About 4 million players are registered with U.S.Soccer and for every opening in quality teams, recruiters receive hundreds of applications – most of which are shortlisted through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

ATS is a system that shortlists candidate resumes and cover letters to check their relevance to a particular job description. The shortlisting is done based on the number of relevant keywords and the keyword density.

So, your resume should pass the ATS and reach the recruiter. We will show you exactly how to write a resume that gets through the ATS and impress the hiring manager.

First, we’ll pick the layout, format, and template for your resume.

The layout of a Soccer player’s Resume

The layout is the draft plan that we create with the headings, subheadings, sections, and important information that should be included on your resume.

We recommend the following layout for a soccer player’s resume:

• Header.
• Professional summary.
• On-field and off-field experience.
• Education.
• Skills.
• Additional sections (certificates, interests, and awards).

Resume Template for Soccer players

Choose a template that suits your professional profile. As you’re applying for a position in sports industry, you should tailor your resume template with a relevant theme.

Ensure your resume does not look like the resume of an IT candidate or a graphic designer – it should be a sports resume, and the characteristics should communicate that to the reader in an instant.

Check out these resume templates If you want to see how you could use our resume builder to create and tailor your resume to your requirement.

Soccer player Resume Format

The format of your resume defines how you write your experience section.

Depending on the order in which the information is listed in your experience section, there’re three standard resume formats:

• The functional (skill-based): Under this format, you should list your key skills and describe the work and achievements associated with each skill.
• Reverse chronological format: In this format, you should list your most recent experience first and the rest should be listed in the chronological timeline.
• Hybrid (combination) format: This is a combination of the above two formats.

We highly recommend you use a reverse chronological resume format to write your experience section. It is in fact the most commonly used resume format. This format is also familiar to hiring managers, so they don't get confused when reading it.

If you have any confusion about how these layouts, formats, and templates come together, read further. We start to write each section of your soccer resume step-by-step with examples.

Kickoff Your Soccer Resume with the Header

The header - also known as the title of the resume - is where you should begin your soccer resume, unlike in the game where the kicker starts from the center pitch.

Write your name in a bigger font to make it stand out like your goalkeeper. Include your contact details.

Here's what to include and what to leave out of your header 👇

A good & a bad header

CORRECT

Tim Cook

Professional soccer player

timcook@gmail.com

(253)827-2873

https://www.instagram.com/timk

Height: 5’9”

Weight: 72kg

Age: 23

INCORRECT

Tim Cook timcook@gmail.com

(253)827-2873

304, main street, KCT apt bldg 12,

Washington DC

USA

Consider the following points when writing your header:

• Write your first name and last name.
• Include the job title – this is an important keyword on your resume.
• Put the link to a social media profile that you’re active in.
• State a mobile number and your email address.
• Put the most recently measured height and weight.
• State your age.
• Do not include a physical address.

Pitch with an Excellent Professional Summary

A professional summary is a sales pitch to hook the reader at the beginning – a short statement demonstrating the candidate’s relevant experience, key skills, and expertise.

For an athlete, this would be a great space to showcase why they should have you in their team. Answer that question properly and you will be in.

Keep your professional summary to two or three sentences to the most. Highlight the biggest achievements in your soccer career.

Professional summary for an experienced soccer player

CORRECT

A passionate athlete with over 7 years of professional soccer experience looking for an exciting opportunity to join a new team. 43 goals and assists in 2021 winning the most impressive player at Unity Squad.

INCORRECT

A soccer player with 7 years of experience looking to join a new club to further my career. I have the ability to play in multiple positions and would like to join at any level.

Professional objective for an entry-level soccer player

Consider writing an objective summary if you’re an entry-level player.

CORRECT

A dedicated soccer player with 3 years of inter-school and inter-provincial club level experience seeks to get me into the professional game. As a forward striker, I have always aspired to join Hooligans FC and winning the 2021 inter-school championship significantly boosted my confidence.

INCORRECT

I am a passionate soccer player with inter-school soccer experience who seeks to join a professional club to advance my career. I am confident that I could be a great addition to your team.

Demonstrate Your Soccer Experience

This is in fact the most important section on your soccer resume – the section that defines your pay for the upcoming series.

How good you write your experience section will determine whether you stay in a 5-figure or 6-figure salary.

Read this guide carefully and follow the soccer experience examples we have given to writing an awesome experience section.

Example Work Experience Section for an Experienced Soccer Player

INCORRECT

Aug 2016 to Present

Soccer player

Hooligans FC

• Worked with the team leader to assist the team.
• Completing media obligations.
• Attended scheduled practices.
• Assistant coach for the junior team.

CORRECT

Soccer player

Team name: Hooligans FC

Years played: Aug 2020 to Feb 2022

Positions played: Right Fullback/ Center Back/ Right Midfielder

Number of goals and assists: 21 (2020), 23 (2021)

• Devised operational strategies with team coaches, managers, and players.
• Analyzed competitor team players with their statistics and video records to determine our strategies.
• Participated in training sessions up to 4 days a week consistently for the last 4 years.
• Awarded the player of the series in the last School Soccer Championship 2021.
• Participated in over 6 media events and briefings representing the club.
• Worked as the technical team advisor for the junior team with 15 players.

A senior soccer player should demonstrate their leadership skills throughout their experience section.

Also, it’s vital to state clearly the name of the team, the number of years you played, the positions you played, and the number of goals & assists at the beginning of each experience section.

Make it easy for the recruiter to realize your value even without reading your full resume. Most hiring managers will straightaway land on your athletic experience section to find out your key achievements.

Example Work Experience for an Entry-Level Soccer Player

INCORRECT

Jan 2020 to Present

Thunder FC

Soccer player

• Playing soccer for the last 4 years.
• Took part in competitive games in school.
• Participated in team building exercises and daily practices.
• Improve footwork techniques working with the coaching staff.

CORRECT

Soccer player

Team name: Thunder FC

Years played: Aug 2021 to June 2022

Positions played: Goalkeeper/ Right Fullback

Number of saves: 34 (2021)

• Passed the 2021 club performance assessment with an 80% score.
• Became a sports representative to promote soccer in school and the local community.
• Got professional club representation at the age of 17.
• Received a first string athletic scholarship from school in 2019.
• Participated in 12 exhibition matches and sponsorship events in 2020.

As an entry-level player, your athletic experience should demonstrate technical skills as well as teamwork skills.

Follow these guidelines while writing this section:

• Use numbers wherever appropriate – make your achievements do the talking.
• Provide key information about each different club appearance (dates, positions, performance).
• Start each sentence with a power word. Eg: Received, Developed, Achieved, Participated in.

Shine with Your Education

Most hiring managers when recruiting soccer players would not mind someone with no proper academic background.

However, if you come from a solid academic background, it says a story about your profile. So make your profile stand out with your education. In a short section, clearly state your most important education qualifications.

Your responsibilities as a soccer player would extend to more team management, analysis, and communication when you become a senior partner in the club. Therefore, your education would come in handy.

Education

Skills for a Soccer player Resume

Write a mix of soft skills and technical skills (hard skills) relevant to the sport.

Soccer is a game of strength, stamina, and strategy – pick your skills.

Soft skills: these are the personal traits required for an athlete to become successful in the game and to show good sportsmanship.

Hard skills: these are the technical skills a player should practice for success on the field.

Carry out keyword research to pick the right skills required to become successful as a player in your new team. These skills should have been listed in the job advertisement.

Soft skills:

• Interpersonal skills
• Endurance
• Time management
• Communication skills
• Ability to work under pressure
• Teamwork
• Problem-solving
• Leadership
• Decision making

Hard skills:

• Ball control
• Footwork
• Aim shooting
• Ball dribbling
• Touch and ball control

Additional Sections for Your Soccer player Resume Sample

These sections are as valuable as the main sections on your soccer resume. To harness the full potential of your resume, you should choose the most relevant additional sections.

Here’re some of the example sections you could include:

• Computer skills.
• Hobbies & interests.
• Language skills.
• Awards & recognitions.

Computing Skills

Having basic computer literacy would come in handy for you as you’ll involve in working with different software and systems along the way.

Remember, soccer is not just about getting down to the ground and playing with the ball – there’s more to it including management, communication, securing sponsorships, and a lot more.

Languages

If you’re fluent in a couple of languages, that would put you at an advantage. State each language together with the level of proficiency.

Being fluent in different languages will help you communicate with sponsors, and players, and understand opponents.

Awards and recognitions

This is a very important section if you have information to put together. Your awards & recognitions are as important as your experience – a great way to captivate the hiring manager.

In listing your awards & recognitions, state clearly the date, the awarding body, and a short description of the award.

If you have impressive information to write in this section, consider placing this just after your professional summary.

Tips to Write an Excellent Soccer Resume

The following tips will help you further improve your resume:

• Tailor your resume to each position you’re applying for – this way, you could concentrate on what they value the most and prioritize them.
• Use the job description to carry out the initial keyword research. Also, read industry blogs and forums to understand the upcoming series and mention how you’ll be a great asset to them in the future.
• Pick a modern resume template to suit your personal profile.
• For an error-free resume, use a tool like Grammarly.

Checklist:

• Start your soccer resume with the header – apart from your name and contact information, state your height, weight, and age.
• Write a stunning professional summary to hook the reader.
• State your greatest achievements in your athletic experience section. Showcase your leadership, teamwork, and communication skills throughout.
• Write a short section about your highest academic qualifications.
• List a mix of soft skills and hard skills.
• Include a couple of additional sections to provide a pleasant surprise to the hiring manager.

Complement Your resume with a Cover letter

Write a cover letter demonstrating your interest further. Use about half a page to one page. This will be an extension of your professional summary.

State your achievements, awards, and recognitions.

Understand the team management’s biggest reason for the recruitment. Go through the history and check the team composition – who they’re looking for – who left the team recently – the positions they played.

Also, check the upcoming matches and the opponents. If you have played with those opponents, you may state that information.

However, make it short and to the point.

Check out the cover letter templates we have created to match each of our resume templates. Make your life easy. Save your cover letter in one of our templates and tailor it to different positions.

Frequently Asked Questions