Winning isn't everything--but wanting to win is.

Vince Lombardi (1913–1970), the famed head coach of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers during their 1960s dynasty, became a symbol of disciplined preparation and relentless competitive drive. The line is widely associated with Lombardi’s broader coaching philosophy: that the real measure of an athlete or team is commitment, effort, and the will to excel rather than the scoreboard alone. It circulated in sports journalism and popular culture as a Lombardi maxim, often invoked to defend intense ambition while acknowledging that outcomes can be contingent on luck, circumstance, or opponent strength. The quote is commonly paired with his other sayings about preparation and character.

The statement draws a distinction between outcome and orientation. “Winning isn’t everything” concedes that life and sport contain values beyond victory—integrity, teamwork, growth, and resilience. But “wanting to win is” insists that serious striving matters: ambition fuels preparation, sacrifice, and sustained excellence. Lombardi’s emphasis is less on obsession with the final result than on cultivating a competitive mindset that refuses complacency. In this reading, the quote defends intensity as a virtue when it is channeled into disciplined effort and high standards, suggesting that the desire to win—properly directed—builds character and performance even when victory is not guaranteed.

1) "Winning isn't everything, but the will to win is everything." 2) "Winning isn't everything—but the desire to win is." 3) "Winning isn't everything; it's the desire to win that counts."