Learning a new language can be fun, especially when you pick up simple words like “soccer.” Soccer is a popular sport all over the world, and many people enjoy talking about it. If you’re learning French, you might want to know how to say “soccer” when chatting with French-speaking friends or watching a game together.
In this article, we’ll explore how to say “soccer” in French. You’ll also learn other ways to talk about the sport, how to respond in conversations, and even get some practice exercises. By the end, you’ll feel ready to use these words in everyday conversations. Let’s get started!
Ways to Say Soccer in French
In French, the word for “soccer” is “football” (pronounced: foo-tbohl). While this can be confusing for English speakers, it’s important to note that in many countries, “football” refers to what Americans call “soccer.” Let’s explore some ways to say “soccer” in French and related terms that can be helpful when discussing the sport.
Football
- Pronunciation: foo-tbohl
- Meaning: Soccer; refers to the game played with a round ball.
- In a Sentence:
- “J’aime jouer au football avec mes amis.” (I love playing soccer with my friends.)
- “Le football est mon sport préféré.” (Soccer is my favorite sport.)
Le ballon de football
- Pronunciation: luh bah-lohn duh foo-tbohl
- Meaning: Soccer ball.
- In a Sentence:
- “Ils jouent avec un ballon de football au parc.” (They are playing with a soccer ball at the park.)
- “Où est mon ballon de football?” (Where is my soccer ball?)
Match de football
- Pronunciation: mahch duh foo-tbohl
- Meaning: Soccer match.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le match de football commence à 18 heures.” (The soccer match starts at 6 p.m.)
- “Nous allons regarder un match de football ce soir.” (We are going to watch a soccer match tonight.)
Terrain de football
- Pronunciation: teh-rahn duh foo-tbohl
- Meaning: Soccer field.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le terrain de football est près de l’école.” (The soccer field is near the school.)
- “Nous avons besoin d’un terrain de football pour jouer.” (We need a soccer field to play.)
Équipe de football
- Pronunciation: ay-keep duh foo-tbohl
- Meaning: Soccer team.
- In a Sentence:
- “Mon frère joue dans une équipe de football.” (My brother plays on a soccer team.)
- “Quelle est ta équipe de football préférée?” (What is your favorite soccer team?)
Joueur de football
- Pronunciation: zhwur duh foo-tbohl
- Meaning: Soccer player.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le joueur de football est très talentueux.” (The soccer player is very talented.)
- “Mon rêve est de devenir un joueur de football.” (My dream is to become a soccer player.)
Fan de football
- Pronunciation: fahn duh foo-tbohl
- Meaning: Soccer fan.
- In a Sentence:
- “Je suis un grand fan de football.” (I am a big soccer fan.)
- “Les fans de football sont très passionnés.” (Soccer fans are very passionate.)
Arbitre de football
- Pronunciation: ar-beetruh duh foo-tbohl
- Meaning: Soccer referee.
- In a Sentence:
- “L’arbitre de football a donné un carton rouge.” (The soccer referee gave a red card.)
- “Les arbitres de football doivent être justes.” (Soccer referees must be fair.)
Championnat de football
- Pronunciation: shahm-pyon-ah duh foo-tbohl
- Meaning: Soccer championship.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le championnat de football aura lieu cet été.” (The soccer championship will take place this summer.)
- “Leur équipe a gagné le championnat de football.” (Their team won the soccer championship.)
Entraîneur de football
- Pronunciation: ahn-treh-nur duh foo-tbohl
- Meaning: Soccer coach.
- In a Sentence:
- “L’entraîneur de football est très strict.” (The soccer coach is very strict.)
- “Un bon entraîneur de football est essentiel pour l’équipe.” (A good soccer coach is essential for the team.)
But de football
- Pronunciation: bew duh foo-tbohl
- Meaning: Soccer goal (the physical net or a scored point).
- In a Sentence:
- “Le joueur a marqué un but de football incroyable!” (The player scored an amazing soccer goal!)
- “Le but de football est bien protégé par le gardien.” (The soccer goal is well protected by the goalkeeper.)
Gardien de but
- Pronunciation: gar-dyen duh bew
- Meaning: Goalkeeper.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le gardien de but a arrêté un tir difficile.” (The goalkeeper saved a difficult shot.)
- “Elle est la meilleure gardienne de but de l’équipe.” (She is the best goalkeeper on the team.)
Carton rouge
- Pronunciation: kar-tohn roozh
- Meaning: Red card.
- In a Sentence:
- “L’arbitre a donné un carton rouge pour la faute.” (The referee gave a red card for the foul.)
- “Un carton rouge signifie une expulsion immédiate.” (A red card means an immediate ejection.)
Carton jaune
- Pronunciation: kar-tohn zhohn
- Meaning: Yellow card.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le joueur a reçu un carton jaune pour sa conduite.” (The player received a yellow card for his behavior.)
- “Deux cartons jaunes mènent à un rouge.” (Two yellow cards lead to a red card.)
Coup d’envoi
- Pronunciation: koo dahn-vwah
- Meaning: Kickoff.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le coup d’envoi est prévu à 20 heures.” (The kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.)
- “Le coup d’envoi marque le début du match.” (The kickoff marks the start of the match.)
Dribbler
- Pronunciation: dree-blay
- Meaning: To dribble (the ball).
- In a Sentence:
- “Il est excellent pour dribbler les adversaires.” (He is excellent at dribbling past opponents.)
- “Dribbler le ballon demande beaucoup de pratique.” (Dribbling the ball requires a lot of practice.)
Défenseur
- Pronunciation: day-fahn-sur
- Meaning: Defender.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le défenseur a bloqué un tir dangereux.” (The defender blocked a dangerous shot.)
- “Notre équipe a deux très bons défenseurs.” (Our team has two very good defenders.)
Attaquant
- Pronunciation: ah-tah-kahn
- Meaning: Forward/Attacker.
- In a Sentence:
- “L’attaquant a marqué trois buts ce soir.” (The forward scored three goals tonight.)
- “Les attaquants sont essentiels pour gagner un match.” (Forwards are essential to win a match.)
Milieu de terrain
- Pronunciation: mee-lyuh duh teh-rahn
- Meaning: Midfielder.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le milieu de terrain contrôle bien le jeu.” (The midfielder controls the game well.)
- “C’est un excellent milieu de terrain avec une vision incroyable.” (He’s an excellent midfielder with amazing vision.)
Penalty
- Pronunciation: peh-nahl-tee
- Meaning: Penalty kick.
- In a Sentence:
- “Un penalty a été accordé à l’équipe locale.” (A penalty kick was awarded to the home team.)
- “Il a marqué sur un penalty.” (He scored on a penalty kick.)
Tir au but
- Pronunciation: teer oh bew
- Meaning: Shot on goal.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le tir au but était parfaitement exécuté.” (The shot on goal was perfectly executed.)
- “Les tirs au but sont souvent décisifs.” (Shots on goal are often decisive.)
Frappe de football
- Pronunciation: frap duh foo-tbohl
- Meaning: Kick in soccer.
- In a Sentence:
- “Sa frappe de football était puissante.” (His kick in soccer was powerful.)
- “La frappe de football a touché le poteau.” (The soccer kick hit the post.)
Poteau
- Pronunciation: poh-toh
- Meaning: Goalpost.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le ballon a frappé le poteau.” (The ball hit the goalpost.)
- “Le poteau a sauvé l’équipe d’un but.” (The goalpost saved the team from a goal.)
Corner
- Pronunciation: kor-ner
- Meaning: Corner kick.
- In a Sentence:
- “L’équipe a obtenu un corner à la dernière minute.” (The team got a corner kick at the last minute.)
- “Les corners peuvent être dangereux.” (Corner kicks can be dangerous.)
Hors-jeu
- Pronunciation: or-zhew
- Meaning: Offside.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le but a été annulé à cause d’un hors-jeu.” (The goal was disallowed due to an offside.)
- “L’arbitre a sifflé un hors-jeu.” (The referee called an offside.)
Coup franc
- Pronunciation: koo frahn
- Meaning: Free kick.
- In a Sentence:
- “L’équipe a reçu un coup franc juste devant le but.” (The team got a free kick right in front of the goal.)
- “Un coup franc peut changer le cours d’un match.” (A free kick can change the course of a match.)
Prolongation
- Pronunciation: pro-lon-gah-syon
- Meaning: Overtime/Extra time.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le match est allé en prolongation.” (The match went into overtime.)
- “Les prolongations sont souvent stressantes.” (Overtimes are often stressful.)
Ballon d’or
- Pronunciation: bah-lohn dor
- Meaning: Golden Ball (prestigious soccer award).
- In a Sentence:
- “Il a remporté le Ballon d’or cette année.” (He won the Golden Ball this year.)
- “Le Ballon d’or est un prix très convoité.” (The Golden Ball is a highly sought-after prize.)
Champion de football
- Pronunciation: shahm-pee-ohn duh foo-tbohl
- Meaning: Soccer champion.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le champion de football a reçu une ovation.” (The soccer champion received a standing ovation.)
- “Devenir champion de football est un rêve pour beaucoup.” (Becoming a soccer champion is a dream for many.)
Tacle
- Pronunciation: tak-luh
- Meaning: Tackle.
- In a Sentence:
- “Son tacle était parfait et a récupéré le ballon.” (His tackle was perfect and regained the ball.)
- “Un mauvais tacle peut entraîner une blessure.” (A bad tackle can cause an injury.)
Other Ways to Say “Soccer” in French
Here is a markdown table listing additional ways to refer to soccer or related terms in French, along with their pronunciation, meanings, and example sentences.
| Other Ways to Say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
| Le foot | luh foot | Soccer (informal term) | “On joue au foot cet après-midi.” (We are playing soccer this afternoon.)”Tu regardes le foot ce soir?” (Are you watching soccer tonight?) |
| Partie de football | par-tee duh foo-tbohl | Soccer game | “La partie de football commence bientôt.” (The soccer game is starting soon.)”Une partie de football amicale a été organisée.” (A friendly soccer game was organized.) |
| Club de football | kluhb duh foo-tbohl | Soccer club | “Je suis membre d’un club de football.” (I am a member of a soccer club.)”Le club de football a recruté un nouveau coach.” (The soccer club recruited a new coach.) |
| Coup de pied | koo duh pee-ay | Kick | “Il a donné un coup de pied parfait au ballon.” (He gave a perfect kick to the ball.)”Un bon coup de pied peut changer le jeu.” (A good kick can change the game.) |
| Jouer au ballon | zhoo-ay oh bah-lohn | To play ball (general, includes soccer) | “Les enfants aiment jouer au ballon après l’école.” (The kids love playing ball after school.)”On va jouer au ballon dans le parc.” (We’re going to play ball in the park.) |
| Maillot de football | may-oh duh foo-tbohl | Soccer jersey | “J’ai acheté un nouveau maillot de football.” (I bought a new soccer jersey.)”Le maillot de football de l’équipe est bleu.” (The team’s soccer jersey is blue.) |
| Sifflet de l’arbitre | see-flay duh lar-beetruh | Referee’s whistle | “Le sifflet de l’arbitre a mis fin au match.” (The referee’s whistle ended the game.)”Le sifflet de l’arbitre était clair et net.” (The referee’s whistle was loud and clear.) |
| Spectateurs de football | spek-ta-tur duh foo-tbohl | Soccer spectators | “Les spectateurs de football ont applaudi l’équipe.” (The soccer spectators cheered for the team.)”Il y avait beaucoup de spectateurs de football au stade.” (There were many soccer spectators at the stadium.) |
| Victoire au football | veek-twar oh foo-tbohl | Soccer victory | “La victoire au football a été célébrée avec joie.” (The soccer victory was celebrated with joy.)”Une victoire au football booste toujours le moral.” (A soccer victory always boosts morale.) |
| Supporter de football | soo-por-tay duh foo-tbohl | Soccer supporter | “Les supporters de football sont très passionnés.” (Soccer supporters are very passionate.)”Un supporter de football a chanté pendant tout le match.” (A soccer supporter sang throughout the match.) |
| Tir de pénalité | teer duh peh-nahl-tee | Penalty shot | “Le tir de pénalité a décidé du match.” (The penalty shot decided the match.)”Un tir de pénalité peut être stressant.” (A penalty shot can be stressful.) |
| Entraînement de football | ahn-tray-nuh-mahn duh foo-tbohl | Soccer training | “L’entraînement de football est chaque mercredi.” (Soccer training is every Wednesday.)”Un bon entraînement de football est essentiel pour s’améliorer.” (Good soccer training is essential for improvement.) |
| Ligue de football | leeg duh foo-tbohl | Soccer league | “La ligue de football organise des matchs chaque semaine.” (The soccer league organizes games every week.)”Je suis fan de cette ligue de football.” (I’m a fan of this soccer league.) |
| Fanatiques de football | fah-na-teek duh foo-tbohl | Soccer fanatics | “Les fanatiques de football suivent chaque match.” (Soccer fanatics follow every match.)”Ils sont connus comme des fanatiques de football.” (They are known as soccer fanatics.) |
| Trophée de football | troh-fay duh foo-tbohl | Soccer trophy | “L’équipe a remporté le trophée de football.” (The team won the soccer trophy.)”Le trophée de football est très prestigieux.” (The soccer trophy is very prestigious.) |
| Ligue des champions | leeg day shahm-pee-ohn | Champions League (soccer) | “La Ligue des champions est très suivie en Europe.” (The Champions League is very popular in Europe.)”Mon équipe préférée participe à la Ligue des champions.” (My favorite team is playing in the Champions League.) |
| Formation de football | for-mah-syon duh foo-tbohl | Soccer formation | “La formation de football en 4-4-2 est classique.” (The 4-4-2 soccer formation is classic.)”Le coach a choisi une nouvelle formation de football.” (The coach chose a new soccer formation.) |
| Déroulement du match | day-roo-luh-mahn dew mahch | Match progression | “Le déroulement du match était passionnant.” (The match progression was exciting.)”Nous avons suivi le déroulement du match à la radio.” (We followed the match progression on the radio.) |
| Coupe du monde | koop dew mohnd | World Cup (soccer) | “La Coupe du monde est un événement majeur.” (The World Cup is a major event.)”L’équipe a participé à la Coupe du monde cette année.” (The team participated in the World Cup this year.) |
| Stade de football | stahd duh foo-tbohl | Soccer stadium | “Le stade de football était plein à craquer.” (The soccer stadium was packed.)”Ils construisent un nouveau stade de football.” (They are building a new soccer stadium.) |
Responses to “Soccer” in French
When talking about soccer in French, you might hear or want to use some common responses. These phrases can help you participate in conversations about the sport, whether you’re cheering for a team, discussing a game, or sharing your opinion.
Oui, j’adore le football.
- Pronunciation: wee, zha-door luh foo-tbohl
- Meaning: Yes, I love soccer.
- In a Sentence:
- Person 1: “Tu aimes le football?” (Do you like soccer?)
- Person 2: “Oui, j’adore le football.” (Yes, I love soccer.)
Quel est ton joueur préféré?
- Pronunciation: kel eh ton zhwur pray-fay-ray
- Meaning: Who is your favorite player?
- In a Sentence:
- “Quel est ton joueur préféré? Le mien est Mbappé.” (Who is your favorite player? Mine is Mbappé.)
C’était un super match!
- Pronunciation: say-tay uh soo-pehr mahch
- Meaning: That was a great game!
- In a Sentence:
- “Hier soir, c’était un super match.” (Last night, it was a great game.)
Le football, c’est passionnant.
- Pronunciation: luh foo-tbohl, say pah-syoh-nahn
- Meaning: Soccer is exciting.
- In a Sentence:
- “J’aime regarder les matchs. Le football, c’est passionnant!” (I love watching games. Soccer is exciting!)
Je préfère le basketball, mais le football est bien aussi.
- Pronunciation: juh pray-fehr luh bah-sket-bol, meh luh foo-tbohl eh byan oh-see
- Meaning: I prefer basketball, but soccer is good too.
- In a Sentence:
- “Je préfère le basketball, mais le football est bien aussi.” (I prefer basketball, but soccer is good too.)
Qui a gagné?
- Pronunciation: kee ah gah-nyay
- Meaning: Who won?
- In a Sentence:
- “Le match est terminé! Qui a gagné?” (The match is over! Who won?)
Je ne regarde pas souvent le football.
- Pronunciation: juh nuh ruh-gard pah soh-vahn luh foo-tbohl
- Meaning: I don’t watch soccer often.
- In a Sentence:
- “Je ne regarde pas souvent le football, mais j’aime jouer.” (I don’t watch soccer often, but I like playing it.)
C’est quoi ton équipe préférée?
- Pronunciation: say kwah ton ay-keep pray-fay-ray
- Meaning: What’s your favorite team?
- In a Sentence:
- “C’est quoi ton équipe préférée? Moi, j’adore le PSG.” (What’s your favorite team? I love PSG.)
Je pense que l’arbitre a mal jugé.
- Pronunciation: juh pahns kuh lar-beetruh ah mal zhew-zhay
- Meaning: I think the referee made a bad call.
- In a Sentence:
- “Je pense que l’arbitre a mal jugé sur ce carton rouge.” (I think the referee made a bad call on that red card.)
On joue ce week-end?
- Pronunciation: ohn zhoo suh week-end
- Meaning: Are we playing this weekend?
- In a Sentence:
- “On joue ce week-end? Le terrain est réservé.” (Are we playing this weekend? The field is booked.)
C’était un peu ennuyeux.
- Pronunciation: say-tay uh puh ahn-nwee-yuh
- Meaning: It was a bit boring.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le match d’hier, c’était un peu ennuyeux.” (Yesterday’s game was a bit boring.)
Je ne rate jamais un match important.
- Pronunciation: juh nuh raht zha-may uh mahch ahm-por-tahn
- Meaning: I never miss an important game.
- In a Sentence:
- “Je ne rate jamais un match important de mon équipe.” (I never miss an important game for my team.)
Tu veux jouer?
- Pronunciation: too vuh zhoo-ay
- Meaning: Do you want to play?
- In a Sentence:
- “On a besoin d’un joueur de plus. Tu veux jouer?” (We need one more player. Do you want to play?)
Bravo, belle performance!
- Pronunciation: brah-voh, bell pair-for-mahnss
- Meaning: Well done, great performance!
- In a Sentence:
- “Bravo, belle performance aujourd’hui!” (Well done, great performance today!)
C’est dommage, ils ont perdu.
- Pronunciation: say doh-mahzh, eel zohn pair-dyoo
- Meaning: It’s a shame, they lost.
- In a Sentence:
- “C’est dommage, ils ont perdu le match final.” (It’s a shame, they lost the final match.)
Exercise to Practice “Soccer” in French
Below are 12 fill-in-the-blank exercises using the ways to say “soccer” in French. The sentences are in French, and each one relates to real-life situations. After the exercises, you’ll find the answers and their meanings.
Fill-in-the-Blanks
- Mes amis et moi allons jouer au ________ ce soir.
- Le ________ de football était magnifique hier.
- Quelle est ton équipe de ________ préférée?
- Le match de ________ commence à 15 heures.
- Ils ont marqué trois buts grâce à leur ________ talentueux.
- Le ________ a arrêté un penalty incroyable!
- Nous allons regarder un ________ de football à la télé.
- Il faut acheter un nouveau ________ de football pour l’entraînement.
- L’arbitre a donné un ________ rouge après cette faute.
- La ________ de football a remporté la Coupe du monde.
- Le ________ de football était plein de supporters hier.
- Ils ont gagné grâce à un ________ parfait de leur attaquant.
Answers and Meanings
- football
- Meaning: Soccer.
- “Mes amis et moi allons jouer au football ce soir.”
- (My friends and I are going to play soccer tonight.)
- but
- Meaning: Goal.
- “Le but de football était magnifique hier.”
- (The soccer goal was magnificent yesterday.)
- football
- Meaning: Soccer.
- “Quelle est ton équipe de football préférée?”
- (What is your favorite soccer team?)
- football
- Meaning: Soccer.
- “Le match de football commence à 15 heures.”
- (The soccer match starts at 3 p.m.)
- attaquant
- Meaning: Forward/Attacker.
- “Ils ont marqué trois buts grâce à leur attaquant talentueux.”
- (They scored three goals thanks to their talented forward.)
- gardien de but
- Meaning: Goalkeeper.
- “Le gardien de but a arrêté un penalty incroyable!”
- (The goalkeeper stopped an incredible penalty!)
- match
- Meaning: Match.
- “Nous allons regarder un match de football à la télé.”
- (We are going to watch a soccer match on TV.)
- ballon
- Meaning: Ball.
- “Il faut acheter un nouveau ballon de football pour l’entraînement.”
- (We need to buy a new soccer ball for training.)
- carton
- Meaning: Card.
- “L’arbitre a donné un carton rouge après cette faute.”
- (The referee gave a red card after that foul.)
- équipe
- Meaning: Team.
- “La équipe de football a remporté la Coupe du monde.”
- (The soccer team won the World Cup.)
- stade
- Meaning: Stadium.
- “Le stade de football était plein de supporters hier.”
- (The soccer stadium was full of supporters yesterday.)
- tir
- Meaning: Shot.
- “Ils ont gagné grâce à un tir parfait de leur attaquant.”
- (They won thanks to a perfect shot by their forward.)
Conclusion
Learning how to say “soccer” in French and discussing the sport can make your conversations more engaging, especially with French-speaking friends. Soccer is not just a game; it’s a universal language that brings people together. Whether you’re watching a match, playing on the field, or chatting about your favorite team, knowing the right words in French can help you connect with others.
Keep practicing the terms and phrases shared in this article. Try using them in real-life situations, like discussing a game or playing with friends. With time, you’ll feel more confident speaking about soccer in French, and it will feel as natural as talking about it in English. Bonne chance et amusez-vous avec le football! (Good luck and have fun with soccer!)