Christmas is coming up fast, but, if you’re still searching for the ultimate gift for your loved one who would rather sit around and talk about the skills of Cristiano Ronaldo over those of Lebron James or Tom Brady, look no further. Below are some great ideas for the perfect gift for the soccer fan in your life. They range from the fantastic (want to go to France this summer?) to the virtual, but should satisfy the tastes of any diehard soccer fan out there.
FIFA 2016: The FIFA line is the go-to video game for soccer fans, and lets players choose from a variety of national teams (think Germany, France, Italy, Brazil, etc.) or teams from leagues in those countries (popular ones include FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Paris Saint Germaine or Bayern Munich). The game features both male and female teams, and lets players develop their own specialized teams and play people throughout the world. The game also continually updates to match the real-world performance of players.
One quick disclaimer: If the recipient of this gift is already pretty big into video games it might be worth casually asking their opinion on FIFA vs. the PES 2016 (Pro Evolution Soccer), the other soccer video game worth its salt. Everyone has their preferences. Buy FIFA 2016 online here, or check out your nearest game store.
Tickets to a Major League Soccer Match In The U.S.: If you’re anywhere near one of the nearly two dozen MLS teams around the U.S., tickets to see the home team can be a blast for anyone who has never seen a live professional soccer game (or even for those who have). You can find tickets for each team here.
A Print From Richard Hincks: These minimalist prints from artist Richard Hincks are seriously cool. He takes famous soccer plays and moments and breaks them down into simple diagrams. Great for your soccer fan with subdued tastes, perhaps. They range from $20 to $30 and can be found here .
A Jersey From Their Favorite Team: Find their size and figure out their favorite team. People love wearing their favorite team’s jersey to the pub for a match. Do they already have that jersey? Well, get them a scarf. Most licensed jerseys can be found here, but if you’re having a hard time you could always Google the specific jersey you seek.
Tickets to the Euro Cup This Summer: This is where that trip to France comes in. The Euro Cup, just like the World Cup, takes place every four years but lands between World Cup showings. This year’s tournament starts on June 10 and lasts until July 10 and will have matches all over France. The only teams that compete are European, which, let’s face it, are pretty good at the game. Tickets to the matches are notoriously hard to get, but you still have time to sign up to apply for specific teams play specific matches right here.
