This post was created as part of Nexon PEAK activities.

If I had to name one football game superstition of my own, it would be playing with chat turned off. It helps me focus on the ball's movement rather than what my opponent is saying. When I make a mistake, I want to think about my next move instead of reacting to chat.

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That got me wondering what superstitions other players might have. In this post, I explore my own FC Online playing habits alongside some interesting football game superstitions shared by other players.

Contents

1. My Personal Superstition: Playing with Chat Off

2. From Headsets to Player Portraits

3. Superstitions from the Days of Sacrificial Upgrades

4. The Difference Between Superstitions and Good Playing Habits

1. My Personal Superstition: Playing with Chat Off

In football games, your own mistakes can bother you just as much as conceding a goal. A single misplaced pass can linger in your mind and leave you rushing your next defensive move. If you are also reading your opponent's chat messages, it is easy to miss the player movements you should be watching.

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So my rule is simple. Compete on the pitch, not in chat. Turning chat off is less about ignoring my opponent and more about reducing distractions. Rather than wondering what they might say, I focus on finding a player to pass to and looking for open space.

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Turning chat off does not raise player stats or guarantee a win. Still, it is a simple ritual that helps me clear my head before a match. I also like that it does not require buying any new players or items.

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I particularly recommend it to anyone who is easily distracted by their opponent's reactions in 1vs1 Ranked Matches, where you compete directly against another player. If you are a beginner still learning the controls and already have your hands full keeping track of the action, it is worth getting into the habit of focusing on the match itself rather than chat.

2. From Headsets to Player Portraits

What superstitions do other players have? In the FC Online community, I found examples of seemingly unrelated actions becoming personal rules for match day.

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The first is always wearing the headset you used on a day when things went well. In an Inven post from 8/2026, a player described playing well while wearing a headset and then making a habit of wearing it every time. Eventually, they found it hard to take off even when their ears got sweaty.

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The interesting part is not the equipment's performance so much as the desire to recreate the conditions of a good day. After 1 or 2 good results by chance, skipping something you would normally think little of can start to feel wrong. It is similar to remembering the shirt you wore or where you sat on a day when a football match went well.

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The second is changing the squad's player portraits after a losing streak. These are the small face images shown on player cards. An Inven post from 10/2025 described a player who changed all their squad's portraits after consecutive losses. They also swapped the shirt number of any player who made a major mistake with a substitute's number.

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That might seem a little unfair from the players' perspective. The writer knew their own play was the problem, but said they enjoyed managing the squad this way. Rather than a strategy for changing stats, it was a personal way to lighten the mood after a frustrating run.

Example	Action	How to View It
Headset superstition	Wearing a headset just as you did on a successful day	Creating a familiar playing environment
Changing player portraits	Changing player portraits after a losing streak	Customizing the squad to lift your mood
Swapping shirt numbers	Swapping numbers between a player who made a mistake and a substitute	A small ritual for enjoying the role of manager

These are individual players' experiences, not evidence that copying their actions will end a losing streak or improve your win rate. Think of them as relatable stories that might make you say, “I do something like that too.” The key is to keep it lighthearted and avoid spending money on these rituals.

3. Superstitions from the Days of Sacrificial Upgrades

Source: Inven

It is hard to discuss football game superstitions without mentioning upgrades. In a match, you are at the controls; with an upgrade, you press a button and wait for the result. Players seem to develop all kinds of rituals to get through that short wait.

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A 2013 Inven article about FIFA Online 3 superstitions featured several examples that are still amusing today. One classic is the “sacrificial upgrade,” which involves upgrading inexpensive players first. The thinking is that after enough failures, perhaps the next upgrade will succeed.

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Sometimes, though, upgrades to the sacrificial player that were supposed to fail kept succeeding until the player became a silver card. The irony is that the upgrades went strangely well for a player they did not even want. Of course, that was no sign that the upgrade they actually wanted would succeed afterward.

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Some players looked at a player's face and spoke to them or recited an incantation. Others left the upgrade menu, browsed other menus, and returned, or covered the screen so they would not see the result appear. It was as though they wanted to try everything possible before pressing a single button.

4. The Difference Between Superstitions and Good Playing Habits

Superstitions are interesting because they give meaning to actions that have no bearing on the result. But not every habit belongs in the same category. Turning off chat to reduce distractions serves a different purpose from reciting an incantation in the hope of a successful upgrade.

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Before a Ranked Match, it helps to set a few personal rules that work for you. This is not a secret formula for winning, but a checklist to help you feel more at ease and enjoy your matches.

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• If your opponent's chat distracts you, turn it off before starting.

• If a losing streak is frustrating you, take a short break instead of immediately clicking through to the next match.

• If you need to lift your mood, choose something low-pressure, such as customizing your squad.

• When upgrading, check the official odds and the materials you plan to use rather than relying on superstitions.

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Upgrade odds, in particular, should be kept separate from superstition. FC Online's official upgrade probability table shows how the odds vary by upgrade level and upgrade boost. There is no evidence that wearing a headset or reciting an incantation improves those odds. Avoid spending more in-game currency than planned because you feel that “a success is due.”

Closing Thoughts

That wraps up this look at my own football game superstition and playing habits in FC Online. Whether it is wearing a headset or changing player portraits, a ritual you can smile about and enjoy can be part of what keeps football games fun over time. As for me, tomorrow I will try a new superstition in pursuit of another win.

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