Soccer Gifts for Kids and Teens That Actually Get Used: Ideas by Age and Budget (and Ones to Avoid)
Most soccer gifts are decorations: lamps, mugs, posters, keychains. A young player opens them, says thank you and never thinks about them again. The gifts that get used are kit the player needs but nobody buys for themselves, and equipment that creates more touches at home. This guide lists them by age and by budget, with the sizes you need to know before you order, and the categories to avoid.
What you need to know before ordering
Three facts make any gift usable: the player's shoe size (for socks, shoes, insoles), their ball size (3 under 8, 4 from 8 to 12, 5 from 12) and, for goalkeepers, their glove size. Ask the parent; if it must be a surprise, choose from the items below that do not depend on size.
Under $25
- Grip socks in the player's shoe size (the most-wanted small gift in youth football right now).
- A training ball in the correct size.
- Ball pump with gauge; nobody buys their own.
- A set of 25 disc cones.
- A padded headband or a pack of tie headbands.
- Goalkeeper glove wash and a glove bag, for keepers.
$25 to $75
- An agility ladder with a carry bag.
- A pair of 4 ft pop-up goals.
- A soccer backpack with a ball holder, sized to the age.
- Goalkeeper gloves, if you know the size (see our chart).
- A futsal ball for indoor winter touches.
- A boot dryer without heat; the gift every parent secretly wants.
$75 and up
- A net rebounder, 4 to 5 ft: the single best gift for a player who trains alone.
- A steel backyard goal, 6 ft.
- Match-quality goalkeeper gloves for a keeper over eleven.
- A second pair of boots for turf or indoor, if you know the exact size and the surface they play on.
Gifts to avoid
Replica shirts in the wrong size or the wrong club. Boots without a fitting. Oversized rebounders for a small yard. Elastic return balls as a main gift. Anything with a hard part the player cannot wear in matches.
Our picks
Links open current Amazon results in each category; check the size notes above first.
Grip socks, youth or adult
The small gift that gets worn every week.
Training ball, correct size
Size 3, 4 or 5 by age.
Pop-up goals, 4 ft pair
Turns the yard or the park into a pitch.
Soccer backpack with ball holder
The bag that keeps the whole kit together.
Net rebounder, 4 to 5 ft
The best gift for a player who trains alone.
Goalkeeper gloves, by size
Check the size chart; roll-finger for youth.
For the parent
If the gift is for a parent who drives to every session: a folding sideline chair, a thermos, a boot dryer and a large ventilated kit bag will be remembered longer than anything with a club crest.
What is the best soccer gift for a 10-year-old?
A rebounder if the budget allows; grip socks and a correct-size training ball if it does not.
What do teenage players want?
Grip socks, a good kit bag, match gloves if they are keepers, and gift cards to pick their own boots.
Sizes for every item are in our guides: balls, gloves and boots, or use the Gear Lab tools.
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