Football is the world's most popular sport. Millions of fans watch matches every week and support their favorite teams. If you enjoy football, learning some basic vocabulary can help you understand commentators, news articles, and conversations with other fans.

⚽ Players on the Pitch

Every player has a different role.

English	Spanish
goalkeeper	arquero
defender	defensor
midfielder	mediocampista
striker	delantero
captain	capitán
substitute	suplente

⚽ Match Vocabulary

English	Spanish
match / game	partido
kickoff	saque inicial
group stage	fase de grupos
quarter-finals	cuartos de final
semi-finals	semifinales
final	final
champion	campeón
trophy	trofeo

⚽ Important Actions

Players can:

score a goal → marcar un gol
miss a penalty → errar un penal
save a shot → atajar un remate
equalize → empatar el partido
receive a yellow card → recibir una tarjeta amarilla
be sent off → ser expulsado

⚽ Fans and Teams

English	Spanish
home team	equipo local
away team	equipo visitante
fans / supporters	hinchas
home fans	hinchas locales
away fans	hinchas visitantes

🎧 Listening Activity

Football Vocabulary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqddUcoE3L8

Word Bank

kick off – striker – goal – corner kick – bicycle kick – foul – yellow card – header – handball – red card – substitution – penalty kick – extra time – goalkeeper – draw

First Half

The blue team won the coin toss, so they got to __________ the game.
The midfielder passed the ball to the __________.
He dribbled through the defense and scored a beautiful __________.
The ball went out of bounds, so the blue team had a __________.
The player attempted a __________, but the ball hit the goal post.
Just before halftime, a green player committed a __________.
The referee showed the Green Team a __________.
Number 10 scored with an amazing __________.
At halftime, the score was 1-1, so the match was a __________.

Second Half

First, the Green Team committed a __________.
Then number 6 made an illegal tackle and received a __________.
The injured player was replaced after the coach called for a __________.
Because the foul happened inside the penalty area, the blue team got a __________.
Regulation time ended and the game went into __________.
The __________ made two incredible saves in the final seconds.

⚽ Listen Again – Complete with ONE Word

The goalkeeper had no __________.
The ball hit the goal __________.
The stadium was going __________.
The player was ejected from the __________.
The goalkeeper saved the __________.
The final score was 2 __________ 1.

⚽ Complete the Match Report

Use the verbs:

scored – passed – crossed – saved – committed – won – beat

The midfielder __________ the ball to the striker.
Number 10 __________ a goal with a header.
One player __________ a foul before halftime.
The goalkeeper __________ two shots in extra time.
The Blue Team __________ the match.
They __________ the Green Team 2-1.

⚽ Football Results

English	Spanish
win	ganar
lose	perder
draw	empatar
victory	triunfo / victoria
defeat	derrota

Examples

Argentina beat Mexico 2-0.
France lost to Argentina on penalties.
England and the USA drew 0-0.

🇦🇷 Argentina in Recent World Cups

Year	Result
1986	Champions 🏆
1990	Runner-up 🥈
2014	Runner-up 🥈
2018	Round of 16
2022	Champions 🏆

⚽ Common Patterns

Team + beat + team + score

Argentina beat Mexico 2-0.
Argentina beat Poland 2-0.
Argentina beat Croatia 3-0.

Team + lost to + team + score

Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia 2-1.
Argentina lost to Germany 1-0.

Team + drew with + team + score

Argentina drew with Iceland 1-1.
Argentina drew with the Netherlands 2-2.

⚽ How to Read Scores

Score	How to Say It
1-0	one nil
2-0	two nil
2-1	two one
3-0	three nil
3-1	three one
4-1	four one
1-1	one all
2-2	two all

Examples

Argentina won 1-0 (one nil).
Brazil won 3-1 (three one).
The match ended 2-2 (two all).

⚽ Practice 1 – Complete with the Correct Score

Choose:

1-0 | 1-1 | 2-1 | 2-0 | 3-0 | 4-3

Argentina drew with Iceland __________.
Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia __________.
Argentina beat Mexico __________.
Argentina beat Belgium __________.
Argentina beat Croatia __________.
Argentina lost to France in 2018 __________.

⚽ Practice 2 – Argentina in Recent World Cups

Complete the sentences with:

beat – lost to – drew with – victory – defeat – won – eliminated

World Cup 2014

Argentina __________ Belgium 1-0 in the quarter-finals.
Argentina reached the final but __________ Germany 1-0 after extra time.
The final against Germany ended in __________ for Argentina.

World Cup 2018

Argentina __________ Iceland 1-1 in the group stage.
Argentina were __________ by France after losing 4-3 in the Round of 16.

World Cup 2022

Argentina surprisingly __________ Saudi Arabia 2-1 in their opening match.
Argentina __________ Mexico 2-0.
Argentina __________ Croatia 3-0 in the semi-finals.
Argentina finally __________ the World Cup after beating France on penalties.
The victory against France became one of the greatest __________ in Argentine football history.

✅ Answer Key