Every four years when the World Cup comes around, do all the friends around you suddenly turn into passionate football fans? However, when tuning into an English broadcast on a foreign sports channel or trying to join the heated discussions with international fans on social media, we often get completely confused when hearing the commentators shout excitedly. Especially when it comes to crucial refereeing decisions and match timings, if you only know how to say "play football" or "soccer," it's really hard to enjoy the chat to the fullest! Don't worry, today Loopy has compiled the most practical football terminology so that when you watch the 2026 World Cup English broadcast, you can instantly understand what the commentators are hyped about and join the global fan discussion using the most authentic English!
✗ He went too far? How to say the crucial call "Offside"
When watching a football match, the most common controversial call is definitely "offside." When an attacking player is closer to the opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent at the exact moment the ball is passed, the referee blows the whistle. At this moment, if we translate it directly as "He went too far," foreign fans will definitely be left scratching their heads.
In English, there is a dedicated word for "越位": offside. This word can be used directly as an adjective or an adverb.
✗ He is in a wrong position. ✓ He is offside.
The referee blew the whistle because the striker was offside.
The goal was disallowed due to an offside offense.
Understand time terms all at once: Extra time and Injury time
During the 90 minutes of a football match, play is often delayed due to player injuries or substitutions. Therefore, the referee will add extra time after regular time ends. Many learners intuitively want to use "delay time," but the terms that actually appear most frequently on English broadcasts are injury time or added time.
✗ The game has delay time. ✓ We are in injury time now.
The referee added five minutes of injury time to the second half.
If the score is still tied after 90 minutes, knockout matches will go into 30 minutes of "延長賽," which is called extra time in English.
The match went into extra time after a 1-1 draw.
The ultimate showdown! The breath-taking "Penalty Shootout"
If the score remains tied after extra time, it comes to the most exciting, heart-pounding "PK 大戰." Many non-native speakers are used to saying "PK," but if you tell foreign fans "Let's PK," they might think you want to pick a fight with them one-on-one. In international matches, the official term for a PK shootout is penalty shootout, or simply shootout.
✗ The game will be decided by PK. ✓ The game went to a penalty shootout.
Brazil won the match in a dramatic penalty shootout.
Sound like a native fan! Essential chanting and cheering phrases
When watching the broadcast at a pub or home on TV, do you only know how to yell "Oh my god"? Hurry and learn these two high-energy cheering phrases—guaranteed to make you sound like a seasoned football fan!
When your supported team goes on the attack and moves the ball forward, shout this out loud to instantly ignite the atmosphere:
Let's go! Come on, score a goal!
When your own goalkeeper makes a heroic save against a sure-fire goal from the opponent, this phrase is the ultimate praise:
What a save! Our goalkeeper is amazing!
Loopy's Quick Reference Summary
Next time you watch the World Cup in English, just remember this simple cheat sheet to easily keep up with the pace:
- During a controversial call: Listen for offside—if you hear this word, you know the goal might not count.
- After regular time ends: Look at the stoppage time board on screen; that is injury time.
- During a deadlock: Play extra time first, and if still tied, it goes to a penalty shootout.