The World Cup is upon us once again. Whether you’re on holiday in Spain, on a business trip in Mexico, or chilling in Colombia, this month they’ll be plenty of opportunity to talk about football (soccer to our American friends). To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of our top Spanish World Cup phrases.
Football as in soccer!
This article, part of our Travel Spanish section, includes a free cut-out-and-keep infographic for you to download and/or share with your buddies. There are also audio files so that you can listen to the correct pronunciation of all the phrases.
1. Odio a Sergio Ramos
I HATE SERGIO RAMOS. I mean, who doesn’t hate Sergio Ramos? Make friends for life by sharing your opinion on the tramposo (cheating) Real Madrid defender.
2. ¡Qué Golazo!
WHAT A GREAT GOAL! A phrase reserved for the truly spectacular. If it’s just a plain old in-off-the-knee, Mourinho-type goal then use the word ‘gol’. Simple, eh?
3. Penalti y explusión
PENALTY AND SENDING OFF. When Uruguay are playing you’ll probably hear this phrase a lot.
4. Tarjeta roja
RED CARD. If it’s a straight red we say ‘roja directa’. Do not confuse with ‘La roja’ (The reds) which is the nickname of the Spanish national team, or ‘Rioja’ which is a type of red wine.
5. Tarjeta amarilla.
YELLOW CARD. But you guessed that, right? In Spanish, colours, like adjectives, are placed AFTER the noun.
6. ¿Quién marcó?
WHO SCORED? You could also use ‘¿Quién ha marcado?’. In Spanish you get to use up-side-down question marks. ¿Cool or what?
7. ¿Quién juega hoy?
WHO’S PLAYING TODAY? The full schedule is here dude.
8. ¿A qué hora empieza el partido?
WHEN DOES THE MATCH START? If you are asking this question make sure you know how to tell the time in Spanish!
9. ¿Cómo va el partido?
WHAT’S THE SCORE? This question literally means “How’s the match going?”.
10. ¡Qué tramposo!
WHAT A CHEAT! Enough said.
11. ¡Es falta!
THAT’S A FOUL! Before using this phrase, ask yourself: Was it really a foul or are you just pissed off that your favourite player lost the ball? Obviously, if Sergio Ramos is involved then it probably was a foul. The word ‘falta’ is also used for ‘free kick’.
12. Fuera de juego
OFFSIDE. In Russia apparently, the linesmen won’t flag for ‘marginal’ offsides. Expect chaos.
13. ¡Qué fallo!
WHAT A MISS! England fans, make sure you learn this phrase by heart.
14. ¡Vamos Argentina!
COME ON ARGENTINA! Substitute the country of your choice, but check your back before shouting.
15. Campeones, Campeones
CHAMPIONS, CHAMPIONS. In the immortal words of Highlander: there can be only one.
Free Football WORLD CUP infographic #1
We’ve prepared a giant (800px x 2400px) PNG image with our top Spanish FOOTBALL WORLD CUP PHRASES:
No expense spared on the graphic design!
More essential Spanish Phrase
For hundreds of useful Spanish expressions suitable for a whole range of everyday situations, check out our section on Essential Spanish Phrases.
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