⚽ Essential German Words and Phrases for Football Fans
- Jens Olesen
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
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.

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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!)
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💻 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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