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When a player is on fire and can't stop performing. "He's cooking" means they're in unstoppable form, usually dominating matches and making everything look easy. The term spread from internet slang into mainstream football commentary. Can also be used negatively - "they got cooked" means they got destroyed.
When Salah scores a hat-trick or Haaland puts three past a hapless defence, football Twitter says they're "cooking" - the term captures those periods when players seem incapable of having a bad game.
Robbie
Jan 24, 2026
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