7 Classic Commodore 64 Soccer Games

Some of you may be too young to remember the Commodore 64 computer from the 1980’s, but for soccer fans such as myself who had time to kill, it was the best way to play soccer games on a home computer that sold millions around the world.

The C64 wasn’t a ZX Spectrum, which had plenty of classic soccer games too, but the games were pretty addictive. So, I decided to go back into the archives and to share some of them with you.

Here’s my selection of the top 7 games (all of which are now playable online in your browser):

1. International Soccer. This game was a classic and one of the best soccer action games ever released on the C64. The graphics, at the time, were cutting edge (don’t laugh). And after playing the game for some time, players figured out ways to bounce the ball on the player’s head and walk the ball into the goal. This game was so successful that a basketball version was released which had practically the same graphics except you would play with your hands and shoot into a hoop.
2. Tracksuit Manager. I never owned this game when it was released in Europe in 1989, but playing it now it seems like one of the best football management games ever released. It’s easy to use and puts you right into managing England during a World Cup tournament.
3. Football Manager II. When the game was released in 1988 as a sequel to the first Football Manager programmed by Kevin Toms, Your Sinclair magazine rated it an eight out of 10 and said that watching a match on the game was fascinating. Some newbies may disagree, but there’s no disagreeing that the game definitely pushed the envelope at the time in terms of football management simulations and is worth a trip down memory lane.
4. Footballer Of The Year. Any game that features penalty kicks at it’s center is a winner for me because it makes the game so easy to understand and a joy to play. Plus the soundtrack by renowned Commodore 64 musician Ben Daglish is a true pleasure.
5. Super Cup Football. This game must have been an early inspiration for the very successful Sensible Soccer, which is quite different than the majority of soccer games because your angle is viewed from directly above the field, looking down on the players.
6. The Footballer. It’s such a simple game that it must have been programmed in the BASIC language, but sometimes less is more as this one can become quite addictive after you get a hang of how the game works.
7. The Double. This one is particularly sensitive and, to be blunt, a pain in the arse to set up but once you get through the initial few screens and you’ve selected your team, it seems quite realistic and you can watch your own team play a match in a game that features some very retro graphics except they weren’t retro at the time!

Be sure to bookmark this page and when you have some downtime at home or work, go back in time and play these classic soccer games on the Commodore 64. Enjoy.