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⚽ Essential German Words and Phrases for Football Fans

Are you a football fan who wants to follow German matches, join in fan chants, or just chat about the game with German speakers? Germany is a football-loving country — and whether you support Bayern, Dortmund, or your local club, knowing some Fußball vocabulary makes every match more exciting.

In this guide, you’ll learn practical German words, phrases, and fun expressions to talk about the match, shout encouragement, understand commentary, and sound like a true fan — in the stadium, at the pub, or watching from your sofa.



🎓 Learn German Properly — and Cheer with Confidence!

Love learning German that you can actually use while enjoying your favourite sport? We’re here to help you talk about Fußball naturally:

German Courses in London and Online (A1–C2) — steady progress, taught by expert native tutors.

Intensive German Courses for Adults & Children — boost your skills quickly before the next big match.

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💻 All lessons are online, so you can learn from home — maybe during halftime!

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1️⃣ Essential Football Vocabulary in German

English

German

Football

der Fußball

Player

der Spieler / die Spielerin

Team

die Mannschaft

Coach

der Trainer

Goalkeeper

der Torwart / die Torfrau

Defender

der Verteidiger

Midfielder

der Mittelfeldspieler

Striker

der Stürmer

Referee

der Schiedsrichter

Linesman

der Linienrichter

Match

das Spiel

Game day

der Spieltag

League

die Liga

Bundesliga

die Bundesliga

Championship

die Meisterschaft

Cup

der Pokal

World Cup

die Weltmeisterschaft (WM)

European Championship

die Europameisterschaft (EM)

Goal

das Tor

Penalty

der Elfmeter

Corner

die Ecke

Free kick

der Freistoß

Offside

das Abseits

Foul

das Foul

Red card

die Rote Karte

Yellow card

die Gelbe Karte

Substitution

der Wechsel

Extra time

die Verlängerung

Shootout

das Elfmeterschießen

Fan

der Fan

Stadium

das Stadion

Chant

der Fangesang

2️⃣ Useful Verbs for Football Fans

  • spielen – to play

  • schießen – to shoot

  • passen – to pass

  • dribbeln – to dribble

  • verteidigen – to defend

  • halten – to save (a shot)

  • foulen – to foul

  • pfeifen – to blow the whistle

  • jubeln – to cheer

  • gewinnen – to win

  • verlieren – to lose

  • anfeuern – to cheer on

  • wechseln – to substitute


📝 Example:

Er hat ein Tor geschossen.(He scored a goal.)

🏟️ 3️⃣ Common Phrases During a Match

  • Wer spielt heute? – Who’s playing today?

  • Wie steht es? – What’s the score?

  • Eins zu null! – One-nil!

  • Schieß! – Shoot!

  • Pass den Ball! – Pass the ball!

  • Abseits! – Offside!

  • Elfmeter! – Penalty!

  • Tor! – Goal!

  • Weiter so! – Keep it up!

  • Gut gespielt! – Well played!

  • Was für ein Spiel! – What a game!

  • Der Schiri ist blind! – The ref is blind! (cheeky, typical fan banter)


🎉 4️⃣ Celebrating Wins and Lamenting Losses

  • Wir haben gewonnen! – We won!

  • Endlich ein Sieg! – Finally a win!

  • Unglaublich! – Unbelievable!

  • Was für ein Tor! – What a goal!

  • Wir sind Meister! – We’re champions!

  • Wir haben verloren. – We lost.

  • Schade! – What a pity!

  • Nächstes Mal gewinnen wir. – Next time we’ll win.


🎵 5️⃣ Fun German Fan Chants and Expressions

Football fans in Germany are known for their loud chants (Fangesänge) — here are a few classic lines:

  • Olé, Olé, Olé! — (Universal football chant)

  • Steht auf, wenn ihr Fans seid! — Stand up if you’re fans!

  • Super, Super, Super [Team Name]! — E.g. Super Bayern!

  • Auf geht’s [Team Name], kämpfen und siegen! — Let’s go [Team], fight and win!

  • Wir holen den Pokal! — We’re bringing home the cup!


📺 6️⃣ Talking About Football on TV

  • Guckst du das Spiel heute? – Are you watching the match today?

  • Wer überträgt das Spiel? – Who’s broadcasting the game?

  • Die Stimmung im Stadion ist fantastisch. – The atmosphere in the stadium is amazing.

  • Hast du die Wiederholung gesehen? – Did you see the replay?

  • Das war eindeutig Abseits! – That was clearly offside!

  • Ich tippe auf 2:1 für uns. – I bet it’ll be 2–1 for us.


🇩🇪 7️⃣ German Football Culture — Good to Know

💡 Did you know?

  • Many German cities have local fan pubs (Fan-Kneipen) where fans watch games together.

  • The Bundesliga is known for its affordable tickets and standing terraces (Stehplatz).

  • Football clubs often have slogans like Mia san Mia (Bayern Munich, meaning “We are who we are”) or Echte Liebe (Dortmund, meaning “True Love”).

✏️ 8️⃣ Practice Tip: Talk About Your Favourite Team in German!

Here’s a simple practice dialogue:

A: Welches Team ist dein Lieblingsverein?(Which team is your favourite club?) B: Ich bin Bayern-Fan. Und du?(I’m a Bayern fan. And you?)A: Dortmund natürlich!(Dortmund, of course!)

🎓 9️⃣ Ready to Practise? Learn German Properly with Us!

Being able to talk about your hobbies — like football — makes German fun and real:

👉 Join our Weekly German Classes (A1–C2) — clear explanations, real-life topics.

👉 Try an Intensive German Course for fast progress — adults and children welcome.

👉 GCSE & A-Level German Revision Courses — achieve top grades and everyday fluency!

New students save 15% on their first trial lesson — just use code EARLYBIRD!

💻 All lessons are online — learn from your sofa during halftime!


📚 Keep Learning with Our German Blog!

Explore our German language blog ‘Auf Deutsch, bitte!’ — 500+ posts packed with useful vocabulary, grammar tips, idioms and cultural insights for real-life conversations.


Game On — Talk Football Naturally in German!

Next time you watch or play football, you’ll have the right words to cheer, complain, or celebrate like a true German fan.

✨ Ready to practise? Book your German class today!

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