--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We play to win." description: "\"We play to win.\" — Marco van Basten" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/marco-van-basten-4950_play_we-play-to-win-1887737_1887737.jpg" --- # We play to win. ![“We play to win.” quote by Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/marco-van-basten-4950_play_we-play-to-win-1887737_1887737.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/marco-van-basten-4950_play_we-play-to-win-1887737_1887737.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/marco-van-basten-4950_play_we-play-to-win-1887737_1887737.jpg) > “We play to win.” [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Competing with a winning mindset drives performance; the goal is to achieve victory. **In simple terms:** Play to win. Key Takeaway Adopt a winning mindset. Themes competition victory mindset Mood determined focused Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - team sports - business competition - personal challenges - project management Key Concepts sports psychology strategy Questions to Reflect On - What does winning mean to you? - How do you handle loss? A Different Perspective Winning focus can ignore sports or and. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play to win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-to-win/) [Play Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-win/) [Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win/) ## Related quotes > [When Brazil take part in any competition they must always play to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zico/when-brazil-take-part-in-any-competition-they-must-always-play-to-win/) [Zico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zico/) > [When you look around you wonder do you play to win? Or are you just a bad loser?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pet-shop-boys/when-you-look-around-you-wonder-do-you-play-to-win-or-are-you-just-a/) [Pet Shop Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pet-shop-boys/) > [I get paid to play, to win, to give the city pride, so maybe everybody can forget for a little while how hard life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/i-get-paid-to-play-to-win-to-give-the-city-pride-so-maybe-everybody/) [Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/) > [If you don't play to win don't play at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brady/if-you-don-t-play-to-win-don-t-play-at-all/) [Tom Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brady/) > [I'm a competitor, you know. I don't want to play just to play; I want to play to win, and I wanted to win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittney-griner/i-m-a-competitor-you-know-i-don-t-want-to-play-just-to-play-i-want-to/) [Brittney Griner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittney-griner/) > [Greater than great I am, YES haters they hate I am, WHAT playing I play to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juelz-santana/greater-than-great-i-am-yes-haters-they-hate-i-am-what-playing-i-play/) [Juelz Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juelz-santana/) > [If you don't play to win, why keep score?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vern-law/if-you-don-t-play-to-win-why-keep-score/) [Vern Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vern-law/) > [I play to win. If I have great numbers, that's great. Obviously you feel good about it, but still, I'm playing to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/i-play-to-win-if-i-have-great-numbers-that-s-great-obviously-you-feel/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [If I play to win will I make it out? I'm tired of feeling my heart, Lord I just wanna scrape it out. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-krit/if-i-play-to-win-will-i-make-it-out-i-m-tired-of-feeling-my-heart/) [Big Krit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-krit/) > [Individual records are nice to get, but before the season starts, you want to play to win the Stanley Cup!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-lafleur/individual-records-are-nice-to-get-but-before-the-season-starts-you/) [Guy Lafleur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-lafleur/) > [I play to win, because I think that's when you get the most praise is when you win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-ariza/i-play-to-win-because-i-think-that-s-when-you-get-the-most-praise-is/) [Trevor Ariza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-ariza/) > [We don't really try to pay attention to the score, we just try to play to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-larson/we-don-t-really-try-to-pay-attention-to-the-score-we-just-try-to-play/) [Jordan Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-larson/) > [The true competitors, though, are the ones who always play to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brady/the-true-competitors-though-are-the-ones-who-always-play-to-win/) [Tom Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brady/) > [You play to win the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-play-to-win-the-game/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The important thing to know is that life will always deal us a few bad cards, but we have to play those cards the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gokongwei/the-important-thing-to-know-is-that-life-will-always-deal-us-a-few/) [John Gokongwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gokongwei/) ## More by Marco van Basten > [When you are a good player you want to play every week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/when-you-are-a-good-player-you-want-to-play-every-week/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [There was a moment in 1996 I had to say: 'I have to try to get healthy.' We made a decision to fuse my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/there-was-a-moment-in-1996-i-had-to-say-i-have-to-try-to-get-healthy/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [I think my gymnastic background helped a great deal with my agility when I took up football seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/i-think-my-gymnastic-background-helped-a-great-deal-with-my-agility/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [Maybe an orange card could be shown that sees a player go out of the game for 10 minutes for incidents that are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/maybe-an-orange-card-could-be-shown-that-sees-a-player-go-out-of-the/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [If you can score a lot of goals in Italy, you can do it in the Champions League as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/if-you-can-score-a-lot-of-goals-in-italy-you-can-do-it-in-the/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [Football should be tense, fair and attractive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/football-should-be-tense-fair-and-attractive/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [I try my best to do what's best for the team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/i-try-my-best-to-do-what-s-best-for-the-team/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [I have worked with Johan Cruyff, with Rinus Michels, with Arrigo Sacchi and with Fabio Capello.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/i-have-worked-with-johan-cruyff-with-rinus-michels-with-arrigo-sacchi/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [Arsenal are the most beautiful club in England. At Man City and Chelsea, they will never have that class and style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/arsenal-are-the-most-beautiful-club-in-england-at-man-city-and/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [When I became the assistant, I was intelligent and helpful. I had patience. As the head coach I was completely the opposite. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/when-i-became-the-assistant-i-was-intelligent-and-helpful-i-had/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [Arsenal are a really big club.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/arsenal-are-a-really-big-club/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [Messi is the best player in the world. If he wins a World Cup, he will be the best player ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/messi-is-the-best-player-in-the-world-if-he-wins-a-world-cup-he-will/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [In England there's a lot of money to create a great team like Barcelona.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/in-england-there-s-a-lot-of-money-to-create-a-great-team-like/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [I'm not a good manager.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/i-m-not-a-good-manager/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [Scoring can be simply a matter of confidence. Sometimes it happens easily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/scoring-can-be-simply-a-matter-of-confidence-sometimes-it-happens/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) [Explore all 104 Marco van Basten quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) ## More Football quotes > [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/) [Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/) > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [There are guys who play lacrosse, and there are lacrosse players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-mundorf/there-are-guys-who-play-lacrosse-and-there-are-lacrosse-players/) [Brendan Mundorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-mundorf/) > [Giggs is the realest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kaluuya/giggs-is-the-realest/) [Daniel Kaluuya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kaluuya/) > [You get a new coach; you do things a little differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/you-get-a-new-coach-you-do-things-a-little-differently/) [Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/) > [You gotta have a little kid in you to play football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-edwards/you-gotta-have-a-little-kid-in-you-to-play-football/) [Herman Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-edwards/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [My team mates are fundamental for my characteristics, if they send in crosses I can play inside the area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filippo-inzaghi/my-team-mates-are-fundamental-for-my-characteristics-if-they-send-in/) [Filippo Inzaghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filippo-inzaghi/) > [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/) [Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/) > [“Wild card, got it," Duncan said. "Just like in Crazy Eights. I can be a diamond; I can be a spade. Whatever you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-healy/wild-card-got-it-duncan-said-just-like-in-crazy-eights-i-can-be-a/) [Christopher Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-healy/) > [Leo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden. Every year, you look at their numbers - score goals, assists, minutes - to see they play very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/leo-cristiano-ronaldo-neymar-eden-every-year-you-look-at-their/) [Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/) > [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/) [Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/) > [I just enjoy winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-bogaerts/i-just-enjoy-winning/) [Xander Bogaerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-bogaerts/) > [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) > [We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/we-cannot-change-the-cards-we-are-dealt-just-how-we-play-the-hand/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) [Browse all 59,646 Football quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We play to win.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marco van Basten" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/we-play-to-win/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Football" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/we-play-to-win/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/marco-van-basten-4950_play_we-play-to-win-1887737_1887737.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/marco-van-basten-4950_play_we-play-to-win-1887737_1887737.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/marco-van-basten-4950_play_we-play-to-win-1887737_1887737.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We play to win.” — Marco van Basten", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Marco van Basten", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We play to win.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/we-play-to-win/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/we-play-to-win/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```