40+ Useful Football Expressions and Idioms in English

• win/ lose a match

Spain lost their first match 0-1.

• draw a match

Uruguay and Argentina drew 0-0.

• play against (sb)

Who were Nigeria playing against last week?

• beat (sb)

Brazil beat Italy in the final.

• lose against (sb)

Bolivia lost 2-1 against Argentina.

• draw with (sb)

Liverpool drew with Juventus.

• shoot

Messi shoots too often. He needs to pass more.

• score a goal

Van Persie scored a wonderful goal against Spain.

• make a save

Casillas made a few good saves.

• concede a goal

Portugal conceded 4 goals against Germany.

• tackle (sb)

I didn’t know if he had the ball or not, so I just tackled him.

• foul (sb)

The English players were trying to foul Pirlo.

• get a yellow card

It was a bad tackle but he only got a yellow card.

• be sent off

Pepe was sent off by the referee.

• be substituted

Torres played so badly that he was substituted.

• back of the net

You should’ve seen it, it was such a great goal. Back of the net!

• Man on!

Quick! Man on! Pass the ball to Jones!

• We were robbed

It is very difficult to swallow, we feel like we’ve been robbed.

• He’s got a sweet left foot.

He’s the best player on the team, and he’s got a sweet left foot.

• He pulled off a great save, what a save!

The goalkeeper pulled off six terrific saves.

• Hit the woodwork

He almost had it, but unfortunately it hit the woodwork.

Other Phrases :

• They got stuck in
• Ran the defence ragged
• He’s got a lot of pace
• The goalkeeper made a howler
• It’s a game of two halves

Idioms Related Football

• get the ball rolling
• get a kick out of something
• kick something off, to kick-start something
• keep one’s eye on the ball
• watch from the sidelines
• move the goalposts
• be on the ball
• a political football
• at this (late) stage in the game
• kick sb around
• score an own goal
• take sides
• blow the whistle on sb
• know the score

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