The best goals for kids turn any back garden into a football stadium. Whether your kids dream of scoring at Wembley or Hampden Park, the best goals for kids will let your children play the beautiful game right at home.
A high-quality goal brings a lot of benefits. First of all, it will help your budding sports stars improve their technique, giving them something to aim at. That will also stop balls flying over fences or into your plants, barbecues, and windows.
There are lots of options to choose from, whatever the size of your garden. From sturdy goals that can withstand the worst of the weather to goals you can easily take to the park, there’s something to suit a range of needs and budgets. Most goals are simple to assemble and can be fixed securely into the lawn to keep them safe.
Whether your kids are just learning how to kick a ball or aspire to play for the national team, we’ve rounded up a range of football goals to suit different children.
How we tested
Our writer’s seven- and five-year-olds are never far from a football, so testing out these goals wasn’t exactly a hardship. We had good weather in time for assembling the products and putting them through their paces. While the kids stuck us in goal and subject4r us to a barrage of penalties, we considered how portable, stable and easy to assemble the goals were, keeping an eye out for those that offered good quality and value for money.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Kat Storr is an experienced journalist who has written extensively about children and parenting. For IndyBest, Kat has reviewed everything from sand play tables to remote control cars. In her reviews, Kat tests each product thoroughly with the help of her three sons, so she can provide her honest opinions and help you spend your money wisely.
The best kids’ football goals for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Forza football goal: £49.99, Networldsports.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Kipsta football goal kage: £27.99, Decathlon.co.uk
- Best for practising skills – Opti target training pop-up football goal: £18, Argos.co.uk
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Forza football goal
This goal stood up to a pummelling by the weather and a constant stream of footballs fired at it by a seven-year-old and his mates. It’s a sturdy product that took less than 10 minutes to assemble. The only fiddly part was attaching the net to the PVC posts, especially with impatient onlookers. The goal also comes with U-pegs to secure it in the grass, giving parents peace of mind that it won’t fall on anyone.
At 6ft by 4ft, this goal is one of the smaller Forza options, and the brand says it’s suitable for those aged seven and under. It was the perfect size for our five-year-old, particularly when his older brother made him the goalie, but our seven-year-old would perhaps benefit from a larger size. Forza also sells goals in 8ft by 4ft (£66, Amazon.co.uk), 8ft by 6ft (£89.99, Amazon.co.uk) and the adult standard size of 12ft by 6ft (£129, Amazon.co.uk), so there are options for all ages and lawn sizes.
Buy now £49.99, Networldsports.co.uk
Kipsta football goal kage
This is a good-value goal. The kage is easy to set up – all you need to do is clip on the corners, stake it into the grass, and then you’re ready for a kickabout. We felt it was a good size for our garden, but it’s a little less robust than some other options in our line-up, and it needs to be taken down when not in use, as it’s not weatherproof. At 3ft by 2ft, kids older than 7 might find it a little small.
However, our boys loved the look of this goal, and we loved that it was incredibly easy to put up and take down. It also comes in a cover with a carry strap, so it’s simple to store and take to the park.
Buy now £27.99, Decathlon.co.uk
Opti pop-up football goal
If you’re planning a garden football match, you’ll need two goals, and this lightweight pop-up pair could be a great choice. The goals were super easy to put together – they pop open when removed from the bag, and you just have to add the fibreglass pole and use the ground pegs to secure them in place.
Our five-year-old tester loved playing with these goals, but we found them a bit small for our older football fan, as he likes to try and put it top bins. However, amateur football coaches will find that these are perfect for incorporating into passing drills like rondos. If your kids are beginning to take football more seriously, these can really help their technique.
The goals come with a ball and pump, but these are a little flimsy, so we used our ball instead. This set would best suit the two- to five-year-old age range.
The biggest benefit of these goals is that you can pack them up and take them anywhere. They’d be great at the park with some friends or at the grandparents’ house to keep the kids entertained during a visit. As with all pop-up products, we had some fun getting them back in the bag – it took two adults to do it – but perhaps we were just extra tired that day.
Buy now £15.00, Argos.co.uk
Opti target training pop-up football goal
Our seven-year-old is obsessed with practising his skills, and sometimes a standard goal doesn’t cut it. This target-training option went down a storm, as he could spend some time on his own firing the ball at the hole in the net. The only issue was that he can kick the ball quite hard, so the goal kept bending backwards with the force of each shot, as it is quite flimsy.
The goal was easy to put together and could work indoors as well as outdoors, if you’re happy to let your kids play football inside.
Included are ground pegs, a bag, a ball and a pump, which weren’t particularly good quality. However, this goal comes at a great price point and will keep focused young footballers busy.
Buy now £18.00, Argos.co.uk
Chad Valley inflatable goal set
This goal is more of a novelty item rather than a tool to help turn you into the next Jude Bellingham or Ellen White, but it still offers plenty of fun. The price point means it would make a great gift, and it’s suitable for indoor and outdoor use. We found the ball and goal easy to inflate, although it doesn’t come with a pump, and the ball was a bit flimsy – our mini testers chose to use a sturdier ball when doing target practice in the garden.
The boys also found it fun to stick their heads through the holes in the goal, which, of course, caused much hilarity. However, it’s inflatable, so don’t be surprised if it pops.
Buy now £10.00, Argos.co.uk
Quickdraw mini football goal set for kids
If you have a young child who is just discovering their love of football (or even still learning to kick a ball), this could be the set for you. It certainly won’t break the bank or take up much space. It’s very easy to put together, and it comes with a small ball and a pump.
Recommended for children aged three and up, we think this is a perfect first goal for a toddler. At 44cm wide and 31cm high, it doesn’t take up much space, so you can use it in a small patio garden or even inside on a rainy day. It will help little ones develop their gross motor skills and burn some energy.
Buy now £8.99, Amazon.co.uk
Catchluck football goal
This is another product designed to help young players hone their goal-scoring skills. It comes with targets to aim for and holes through which you can kick your ball. It’s a small goal at 120cm x 80cm, but this makes it perfect for small gardens or a trip to the park. It’s easy to pack up and take out and about with you in its carry bag.
Our young testers enjoyed taking turns to hit the targets, but this goal is probably more suitable for younger children. Older kids will be able to kick the ball with a bit of extra oomph that will really put the ground pegs to the test.
Buy now £22.99, Amazon.co.uk
UEFA Champions League 4ft x 3ft flexi goal
Aspiring football stars will love this officially licensed Champions League goal. At 4ft by 3ft, it doesn’t take up too much space in the garden, and it’s lightweight and portable enough to take to the park (though this means it’s not as sturdy as some other options we tested). Our testers found the goal easy to put togethe,r and the ground pegs made it secure in the grass.
The carry bag is really useful, but as always with these kinds of products, getting the goal back into the bag was trickier than taking it out in the first place. We found this goal isn’t as durable as some others on our list, so we wouldn’t want to leave it outdoors overnight.
Buy now £35.00, Argos.co.uk
The verdict: Football goals
The Forza goal takes the winner’s trophy, as it’s made from strong PVC, so it can withstand even the punchiest of penalty shootouts. It comes in a variety of sizes, too, to suit different gardens, and the net is good quality and easy to attach. The Kipsta kage is also a great choice if you’re on a budget. It’s portable, easy to assemble and comes at an excellent price.
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