Know Your Soccer Vocabulary for the 2022 World Cup

If you are getting excited about the World Cup, now is the time to brush up on your soccer-related vocabulary in some of the world's popular languages.

Whether you are going to Qatar, or you just want to be able to chat with fellow soccer enthusiasts about free kicks, penalty kicks, and other soccer terms, we've got you covered.

See also: 10 Ways to Learn a Language while Traveling!

In this post, not only will you learn 20 basic soccer-related phrases in 9 popular languages, but you will also learn how to celebrate when your team wins or when your favorite players score goals.

Later in this post, we will provide useful phrases in Arabic specifically for getting around Qatar and chatting to the locals about the soccer World Cup.

Basic Soccer Vocab: 20 Essential Phrases

Here is a list of 20 useful and commonly-used words and phrases related to soccer. We will provide translations in 9 popular languages: French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and Arabic.

Now, you can get started learning soccer vocab in time for the World Cup in whichever language you choose.

This will allow you to join in conversations with the online football community and communicate with football fans from all around the world in person if you are lucky enough to attend some of the games.

1. Soccer Ball

  • French: Ballon de football
  • Spanish: Balón/ pelota de fútbol
  • Italian: Pallone da calcio
  • Portuguese: Bola de futebol
  • German: Fußball
  • Russian: Futbol'nyi myach (футбольный мяч)
  • Korean: Cook gong (축구 공)
  • Japanese: Sacker boru (サッカーボール)
  • Arabic: Kara al-qudam (كرة القدم)

2. Football Pitch

  • French: Terrain de football
  • Spanish: Campo de fútbol
  • Italian: Campo da calcio
  • Portuguese: Campo de futebol
  • German: Fußballplatz
  • Russian: Futbol'noe pole (футбольное поле)
  • Korean: Cook gyeonggijang (축구 경기장)
  • Japanese: Sacker ba (サッカー場)
  • Arabic: Melaab kara alqadam (ملعب كرة القدم)

3. The National Team

  • French: L’équipe nationale
  • Spanish: El equipo nacional
  • Italian: La Nazionale
  • Portuguese: A seleção nacional
  • German: Die Nationalmannschaft
  • Russian: Sbornaya (сборная)
  • Korean: Gukkadaepyo (국가대표)
  • Japanese: National chimu (ナショナルチーム)
  • Arabic: Al-montakhab al-watni (المنتخب الوطني)

4. A Free Kick

  • French: Un coup franc
  • Spanish: Un tiro libre
  • Italian: Un calcio di punizione
  • Portuguese: Um pontapé livre
  • German: Ein freistoß
  • Russian: Shtrafnoy udar (штрафной удар)
  • Korean: Prickick (프리킥)
  • Japanese: Free kic (フリーキック)
  • Arabic: Rokla harra (ركلة حرة)

5. A Penalty Kick

  • French: Un penalty
  • Spanish: Un tiro penal
  • Italian: Un calcio di rigore
  • Portuguese: Um pontapé de penalidade
  • German: Einen Elfmeter
  • Russian: Penal'ti (пенальти)
  • Korean: Penalticik (페널티킥)
  • Japanese: Penarti kic (ペナルティキック)
  • Arabic: Rokla gazaa (ركلة جزاء)

6. A Corner Kick

  • French: Un coup de pied de coin
  • Spanish: Un saque de esquina
  • Italian: Un calcio d'angolo
  • Portuguese: Um pontapé de canto
  • German: Ein Eckstoß
  • Russian: Uglovoy udar (угловой удар)
  • Korean: Connachic (코너킥)
  • Japanese: Cornerkick (コーナーキック)
  • Arabic: Rokla riknia (ركلة ركنية)

7. World Cup

  • French: La Coupe du Monde
  • Spanish: La Copa del Mundial
  • Italian: La Coppa del Mondo
  • Portuguese: A copa do mundo
  • German: Die Weltmeisterschaft
  • Russian: Chempionat mira po futbolu (Чемпионат мира по футболу)
  • Korean: Waldkop (월드컵)
  • Japanese: Worldcup (ワールドカップ)
  • Arabic: Kas alalem (كأس العالم)
    8. A Soccer Match
  • French: Un match de football
  • Spanish: Un partido de fútbol
  • Italian: Una partita di calcio
  • Portuguese: Um jogo de futebol
  • German: Ein Fußballspiel
  • Russian: Futbol'nyi match (футбольный матч)
  • Korean: Cook games (축구 경기)
  • Japanese: Sacker no shiai (サッカーの試合)
  • Arabic: Mubaraat kurat alqadam (مباراة كرة القدم)

9. A Yellow Card

  • French: Un carton jaune
  • Spanish: Una tarjeta amarilla
  • Italian: Un cartellino giallo
  • Portuguese: Um cartão amarelo
  • German: Eine gelbe Karte
  • Russian: Zheltaya kartochka (Желтая карточка)
  • Korean: Yellow kadeu (옐로우 카드)
  • Japanese: Yellowcard (イエローカード)
  • Arabic: Bataga safra (بطاقة صفراء)

10. Injury Time

  • French: Temps de blessure
  • Spanish: Tiempo de lesión
  • Italian: Minuti di recupero
  • Portuguese: Tempo de lesão
  • German: Nachspielzeit
  • Russian: Dopolnitel'noe vremya (дополнительное время)
  • Korean: Busang sigan (부상 시간)
  • Japanese: Kega jikan (インジュアリータイム)
  • Arabic: Waqt alisabe (وقت الإصابة)

11. A Hat Trick

  • French: Un coup de chapeau
  • Spanish: Un hat trick
  • Italian: Una tripletta
  • Portuguese: Um hat-trick
  • German: Ein Hattrick
  • Russian: Khet-trick (Хет-трик)
  • Korean: Hattrick (해트트릭)
  • Japanese: Hattrick (ハットトリック)
  • Arabic: Hatrick (هاتريك)

12. The Same Team

  • French: La même équipe
  • Spanish: El mismo equipo
  • Italian: La stessa squadra
  • Portuguese: A mesma equipa
  • German: Das gleiche Team
  • Russian: Odna i ta zhe comanda (одна и та же команда)
  • Korean: Gateun timm (같은 팀)
  • Japanese: Onaji chimu (同じチーム)
  • Arabic: Nafs frik (نفس الفريق)

13. The Opposite Team

  • French: L’équipe opposée
  • Spanish: El equipo opuesto
  • Italian: La squadra avversaria
  • Portuguese: A equipa oposta
  • German: Das gegnerische Team
  • Russian: Protivopolozhnaya comanda (противоположная команда) команда соперников komanda sopernikov
  • Korean: Bandae timm (반대 팀)
  • Japanese: Aite chimu (相手チーム)
  • Arabic: Frik al-maqabel (الفريق المقابل)

14. The Winning Team

  • French: L’équipe gagnante
  • Spanish: El equipo ganador
  • Italian: La squadra vincente
  • Portuguese: A equipa vencedora
  • German: Das Gewinnerteam
  • Russian: Comanda pobeditel' (команда-победитель)
  • Korean: Useung timm (우승 팀)
  • Japanese: Yuushou chimu (優勝チーム)
  • Arabic: Frik al-faez (الفريق الفائز)

15. The Attacking Team

  • French: L’équipe attaquante
  • Spanish: El equipo atacante
  • Italian: La squadra attaccante
  • Portuguese: A equipa de ataque
  • German: Die angreifende Mannschaft
  • Russian: Atakuyushchaya comanda (атакующая команда)
  • Korean: Konggyeoktim (공격팀)
  • Japanese: Kougeki chimu (攻撃チーム)
  • Arabic: Frik al-mohajem (الفريق المهاجم)

16. The Defending Team

  • French: L’équipe en titre
  • Spanish: El equipo defensor
  • Italian: La squadra difensiva
  • Portuguese: A equipa de defesa
  • German: Die verteidigende Mannschaft
  • Russian: Oboronyayushchayasya komanda (обороняющаяся команда)
  • Korean: Subitim (수비팀)
  • Japanese: Defending chimu (ディフェンディングチーム)
  • Arabic: Frik al-madafe (الفريق المدافع)

17. The Other Team

  • French: L’autre équipe
  • Spanish: El otro equipo
  • Italian: L'altra squadra
  • Portuguese: A outra equipa
  • German: Das andere Team
  • Russian: Drugaya comanda (другая команда)
  • Korean: Dareun timm (다른 팀)
  • Japanese: Hoka no chimu (他のチーム)
  • Arabic: Frik alakher (الفريق الآخر)

18. An Offensive Player

  • French: Un joueur offensif
  • Spanish: Un jugador ofensivo
  • Italian: Un giocatore offensivo
  • Portuguese: Um jogador ofensivo
  • German: Ein Offensivspieler
  • Russian: Atakuyushchiy igrok (атакующий игрок)
  • Korean: Gonggyeokjeogin shenshu (공격적인 선수)
  • Japanese: kougeki teki nani player (攻撃的なプレーヤー)
  • Arabic: Laab hujumi (لاعب هجومي)

19. A Defensive Player

  • French: Un joueur défensif
  • Spanish: Un jugador defensivo
  • Italian: Un giocatore difensivo
  • Portuguese: Um jogador defensivo
  • German: Ein defensiver Spieler
  • Russian: Oboronitelny igrok (Оборонительный игрок)
  • Korean: Subijeogin shenshu (수비적인 선수)
  • Japanese: Shubi teki nani senshu (守備的な選手)
  • Arabic: Laab ddevaei (لاعب دفاعي)

20. The Substitute Players

  • French: Les joueurs remplaçants
  • Spanish: Los jugadores suplentes
  • Italian: I giocatori sostitutivi
  • Portuguese: Os jogadores substitutos
  • German: Die Ersatzspieler
  • Russian: Zapasnye igroki (Запасные игроки)
  • Korean: Gyoche shenshu (교체 선수)
  • Japanese: Koutai senshu (交代選手)
  • Arabic: Al-laaboun al-badla (اللاعبون البدلاء)

Cheering and Celebrating

Now, let's look at what different people around the world might say when a player scores for their national team:

French

Voilààà ! means "that's it!" and tire! ... but! means "Shoot!... Goal!". A chant that you will hear constantly while watching the French national team is allez les Bleus, meaning "go the blues".

Spanish

At a Spanish match, you will likely hear fans shout ¡vamos!, meaning "let's go!" or ¡venga!, "come on!" To shout "goal!" it is simply ¡gol!

Italian

Forza Azzurri! is “come on, the blues!”, and Italian fans might also shout complimenti! or bravo! to congratulate their team.

Portuguese

Portuguese fans will shout when a player kicks the ball. This just means "there", but it is used to express enthusiasm. Or, you can shout boa, meaning "good" or "nice".

German

If you are cheering Germany on, you can shout los geht’s Deutschland!, "come on Germany!" or noch ein Tor!, "one more goal!"

Russian

Vpered, Rossiya! (Вперёд, Россия! ) means "go Russia!", or you can simply shout Ura! (Ура! ), meaning "hoorah!"

Korean

In Korean, "goal!" is goll! ( 골) and "hoorah!" is manse! (만세). These cheers are simple and easy to learn.

Japanese

Ganbatte (頑張って) is a popular Japanese cheer meaning "keep going". Or, you can learn anata nara dekiru yo ( あなたならできるよ), "you can do it!"

Arabic

Finally, if you want to offer encouragement in Arabic, Hadef! (هدف) means "goal!" and jestmer (يستمر) is "keep going".

10 Useful Phrases for Qatar

  1. Where is the stadium? - Ayn al-melab (أين الملعب)
  2. I am here for the Fifa World Cup - Anna hanna lahdour kas alalem FIFA (أنا هنا لحضور كأس العالم FIFA)
  3. What was the final score? - Ma he natija al-nahaithe (ما هي النتيجة النهائية)
  4. I love to watch professional soccer games - Ahab mashahdeh mbariat kara al-qudam al-ahtarafiyeh (أحب مشاهدة مباريات كرة القدم الاحترافية)
  5. This is my first international match - Huthe he ol mbaraa dulea ley (هذه هي أول مباراة دولية لي)
  6. How long until half-time? - Kam min alwaqt hataa alshawt al'uwwl (كم من الوقت حتى الشوط الأول)
  7. It's a penalty shootout - Inha roclat al-turjih (إنها ركلات الترجيح)
  8. That was a serious foul! - Can delk khatta vadha (كان ذلك خطأ فادحا)
  9. What a dangerous play - Ya laha min laebat khatira (يا لها من لعبة خطيرة)
  10. He scored an own goal! - Sajal hadafan fi marmah (سجل هدفا في مرماه)

So, there we have it. This has been a quick guide to some basic soccer-related vocabulary in 9 languages for the World Cup.

You have learned vocab relating to soccer players, penalty kicks, and the two teams playing.

Moreover, you now know how to celebrate a team's goal in 9 languages! You might hear some of these phrases during the World Cup when different national teams are scoring goals. Now you know how to have basic soccer-related dialogues with locals in Qatar.

For more language learning options and practice in popular languages, why not check out Lingopie? This streaming service offers content hand-picked to improve your language acquisition and listening comprehension by binge-watching and taking vocabulary quizzes.

Have fun watching your national team!

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