World Cup Vocabulary in Spanish

Quick Answer

El Mundial(The World Cup) is one of the biggest sporting events on the planet! Whether you're cheering for your favorite team, watching a match with friends, or following highlights online, these Spanish World Cup terms will help you join the conversation.

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How to Say World Cup in Spanish

There are several ways to refer to the World Cup in Spanish. While some terms are more common than others, all of the following terms are widely understood throughout the Spanish-speaking world.

Spanish	Where It's Used
la Copa del Mundo	This term is widely understood and commonly used in Spain and Latin America.
la Copa Mundial	This is one of the most common ways to refer to the World Cup throughout the Spanish-speaking world.
el Mundial	Sports commentators and fans often shorten the name to simply Mundial.
el Mundial de Fútbol	This term emphasizes that the competition is a soccer tournament.

How to Say Match and Tournament in Spanish

Whether you're talking about a World Cup final, a local competition, or an entire tournament, these words will help you discuss soccer events in Spanish.

Spanish	English
la competencia	competition
el encuentro	match/contest
el partido	match/game
el torneo	tournament

Soccer Stadium

Basic Soccer Vocabulary in Spanish

If you're watching a soccer match in Spanish, you'll hear many of these terms over and over again. Learn them now and you'll be able to follow the action with ease!

Spanish	English
la afición	fans/supporters
la alineación	lineup
el árbitro	referee
el árbitro asistente	assistant referee
la asistencia	assist
la atajada	save
el autogol	own goal
el cabezazo	header
la celebración	celebration
la derrota	defeat
el disparo	shot
el empate	tie/draw
la falta	foul
el fuera de juego	offside
el gol	goal
el golazo	spectacular goal
el hincha	fan/supporter
el marcador	scoreboard/score
el penal	penalty
la posesión	possession
la racha ganadora	winning streak
el remate	shot
el saque de banda	throw-in
el saque de esquina	corner kick
el saque de meta	goal kick
el silbato	whistle
la tarjeta amarilla	yellow card
la tarjeta roja	red card
el tiempo extra	extra time
el tiro de esquina	corner kick
el tiro libre	free kick
el tiro penal	penalty kick
la victoria	victory

Soccer Players

Soccer Positions in Spanish

Now that you've got the basics down, it's time to learn how to refer to the players on the field!

Spanish	English
el arquero	goalkeeper
el atacante	attacker
el capitán	captain
el carrilero	wing-back
el centrocampista	midfielder
el centrocampista defensivo	defensive midfielder
el centrocampista ofensivo	attacking midfielder
el defensa	defender
el defensa central	center back
el delantero	forward/striker
el extremo	winger
el extremo derecho	right winger
el extremo izquierdo	left winger
el guardameta	goalkeeper
el lateral	fullback
el lateral derecho	right back
el lateral izquierdo	left back
el mediocampista	midfielder
el portero	goalkeeper
el segundo delantero	second striker
el suplente	substitute
el titular	starter
el volante	midfielder

Tournament Vocabulary

As teams advance through the competition, you'll hear these terms used to describe the different stages of the tournament and the teams competing in it.

Spanish	English
el campeón	champion
la copa	cup
los cuartos de final	quarterfinals
la fase de grupos	group stage
la final	final
los octavos de final	round of 16
la selección nacional	national team
la semifinal	semifinal
el subcampeón	runner-up
el trofeo	trophy

Now you're ready to celebrate every el gol, debate every referee decision, and cheer on your favorite team entirely in Spanish. ¡Que gane el mejor!(May the best team win!)