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Football vocabulary in French

As France’s team of football stands in the world podium (Cock-a-doodle-doo!*), we thought you would like to discover some anecdotes and learn some essential football vocabulary, in French…!

*« Cock-a-doodle-doo » is the cry of the cockerel, the national emblem for football stadiums in France…!

3 interesting anecdotes about football

  1. The red and yellow cards only appeared in the game in the 1970s.  Before that the referee just gave a verbal warning to the player,  but the sometimes severe disputes that ensued gave way to the idea of using the traffic light system: yellow warning, red you stop!
  2. Football is the N°1 sport in terms of numbers of club registrations in France (> 2 million registrations) ahead of tennis, horse riding, basketball and judo.  Germany is the first in the world for the highest number of registered players, then the USA, Brazil and then France.
  3. The greatest goalscorer in football history is Joseph Bican, a Czech-Austrian who died in 2001 and who scored 805 goals in over 500 matches, followed by the Brazilians Romario (772 goals in his career) and Pelé (767 goals).

Football vocabulary in French:

  • 1ère mi-temps : First half
  • Ailier : Winger
  • Arbitre : Referee
  • Arrêt de jeu : Injury time/Interruption of
  • Attaquant / avant : Forward, Striker, Attacking player
  • Avant-centre : Center forward
  • Barre transversale : Cross-bar
  • But : Goal
  • Capitaine : Captain / Skipper
  • Carton jaune : Yellow card
  • Carton rouge : Red card
  • Coéquipier : Team-mate
  • Coup de pied : Kick
  • Coup francs : Free kick
  • Coupe du monde : World cup
  • Crampons : Studs
  • Dégagement à la main : Throw out
  • Dégager : Clear (to)
  • Demi-finale : Semifinal
  • Dribler un adversaire  : Dribble past an opponent (to)
  • Echauffement : Warm-up
  • Engagement, coup d’envoi : Kick-Off
  • Equipe adverse : Opponent team
  • Faire une tête : Head (the ball) (to)
  • Faute : Foul
  • Faute de main : Hand ball
  • Filet : Goal net
  • Football : Soccer
  • Gants : Gloves
  • Gagner : Win (to)
  • Gradins : Bleachers
  • Hors jeu : Offside
  • Hors jeu : Out of Play
  • Jongle : Keepy-uppy
  • Juge de touche : Linesman
  • Ligne de touche : Sideline – Touchline
  • Ligne des 6 mètres : Six-yard line
  • Ligne médiane : Halfway line
  • Marquer un but : Score (to)
  • Milieu de terrain : Midfield
  • Milieu de terrain défensif  : Defensive midfielder
  • Milieu de terrain offensif  : Offensive midfielder
  • Mi-temps : Half time
  • Passement de jambe : Step-over
  • Petit pont : Nutmeg / between the leg pass
  • Perdre : Lose (to)
  • Prolongation : Extratime
  • Protège-tibias : Shin guards / Shin pads
  • Remplaçant : Reserve/Substitute
  • reprise de volée / demi-volée : Volley / A half-volley
  • Séance de tirs au but  : Penalty shoot-out
  • Sifflet : Whistle
  • Simulation : Diving
  • Surface de but : Six-yard-box – goal area
  • Surface de réparation : Penalty area
  • Tacler : Tackle (to)
  • Terrain : Pitch
  • Tirer / cadrer / tir cadré : Shoot (to)
  • Touche : Throw in