image via @Max33Verstappen/ X

Max Verstappen and Football: How the Sport Has Shaped the F1 Champion’s Mentality

Max Verstappen has been inspired by David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.

image via @Max33Verstappen/ X

Football and F1 can hardly be brought together in the general scheme of things. But with Max Verstappen and his lifelong love for sport, there’s a lot he takes as inspiration from football.

Shaping his mindset, learning from his father and the unwavering support for certain clubs and athletes. Moreover, his endless love for the FIFA (EA FC) video game has made football a contestant presence in Verstappen’s life.

In a recent social media post, Verstappen also named the highest-rated player in the game. He impressively got most of them right displaying his extreme interest in the video game.

Max Verstappen on the fine he was given by the FIA this weekend:

"So that’s a little less FIFA points for me on my laptop" 😂

He's genuinely unreal at FIFA (event qualification level via leaderboards in 18), somehow manages to play FUT Champs during race weekends 🤯

🐐 pic.twitter.com/UHBw03WIS3
— 𝙁𝙐𝙏𝙒𝙄𝙕 (@FUTWIZ) November 14, 2021

Which Club Does Max Verstappen Support?

Being a Dutchman, Verstappen has been a big follower of Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven. He got into the club following his father, Jos Verstappen’s footsteps give his passion for the Dutch club. Jos was sponsored by Phillips and was often invited to the PSV games during the time.

Accompanying his father to many of the PSV games, the F1 driver developed a love for the club at a young age. Talking about how he got into following PSV and the relationship with his father, he told Formula1.NL:

“That started with my father when he was sponsored by Philips.“

“At that time he was regularly invited to PSV matches and sometimes I accompanied him. Gradually a certain bond grows, a click, and you can also associate yourself with that club.“PSV emotionally suits me better than, say, Ajax,”

“The Amsterdam mentality is different from the Eindhoven warmth. And Limburg is of course also closer to Brabant, in terms of distance. But also in terms of mentality.”

Verstappen follows all of the PSV games and has often expressed his passion for the club. Despite his packed schedules, he is known to keep records of PSV at all times.

Through his relationship with Kelly Piquet, Verstappen has also followed Brazilian football. As the Piquet family are fans of the club Vasco da Gama, Verstappen has also kept a record of the club lately.

Max Verstappen Takes Inspiration From Football Players

Following the sport, Verstappen has also been inspired by the football athletes. Fighting Criticism and Overcoming the Noise, the 27-year-old talked about how the David Beckham documentary.

Expressing how Beckham experienced so much more than what he does, Verstappen said:

“That was very bad. You have those kinds of extremes more in football than in Formula 1. And certainly in England of course, where football is very popular. What I am experiencing is out of proportion to what he has experienced.”

“In the documentary you saw how mentally strong he was. Because despite everything, he just focused on his career and training. And he often showed it again on the field and got everyone back on his side. I liked that, letting your feet do the talking on the field,” he added.

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Verstappen has also talked about how he has followed Cristiano Ronaldo’s measure of not getting any tattoos. Both of the athletes wouldn’t ink their bodies for a noble cause of blood donation.

From his father to his girlfriend, Verstappen has had long football fans around him since childhood. The Dutchman has never been shy to express his love for the sport as it keeps inspiring him.

Max Verstappen

PSV Eindhoven

Mayur Dedwal

soccer

I’m a Sports Content Writer with expertise in football. Being a decade old football enthusiast and part-time coach, I try to bring to life to the articles in a statistical manner. Being around all kinds of sports updates and able to put in my perspective’s to the happenings in the world of football are few of the many things i like in doing what i do. You can find me playing Sunday leagues or Xbox on weekends!