Soccer Футбо́л
10 Russian words on the topic of soccer — each with a picture, an audio recording and an example sentence. The most popular game in the world — goals, penalties, and the fans who are literally “ill” for their team (боле́льщики).
| Picture | English | Russian · Ру́сский | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | soccer | футбо́л | 🔀 Several meaningsMeans soccer; American football is америка́нский футбо́л. Stress on the last syllable. |
 | goal | гол | 🔀 Several meaningsOnly the scored goal — the goal frame is воро́та. Collocation: заби́ть гол (to score). ⚠️ GenderPlural голы́. |
 | goalkeeper | врата́рь | 🔗 Word familyFrom archaic врата́ 'gates' (cf. воро́та). ⚠️ GenderMasculine despite the soft sign — genitive вратаря́. |
 | referee | судья́ | 🔀 Several meaningsThe same word means a court judge. ⚠️ GenderIn the plural the stress moves: су́дьи. |
 | penalty | пена́льти | 🔗 Word familyLoan from English 'penalty'. ⚠️ GenderIndeclinable — one form in all cases. |
 | foul | наруше́ние | 🔀 Several meaningsGeneral word for 'violation' (of rules, a law), not only in sport. 🔗 Word familyFrom наруша́ть (to violate). |
 | fan | боле́льщик | 🔗 Word familyFrom боле́ть 'to be ill' — a fan is literally 'sick' with worry. ⚠️ Irregularболе́ть за (+ acc.) = to root for. |
 | stadium | стадио́н | ⚠️ IrregularTakes на, not в: на стадио́не (at the stadium). Stress on the final syllable. |
 | national team | сбо́рная | Literally 'the assembled (team)' — an adjective used as a noun. |
 | World Cup | чемпиона́т ми́ра | Literally 'championship of the world' (ми́ра — genitive of мир). 🌎 RegionColloquially also мундиа́ль, from Spanish. |
See also:SportsGym