footballer
gb/fˈʊtbəlɚ/ us/fˈʊtbəlɚ/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
role
1
person who plays soccer
a person who plays soccer
Usage pattern:
a [footballer]; a footballer for [club/team]; a [nationality] footballer
Common mistake:
In American English, people usually say football player for American football; footballer is more common in British English for soccer.
Synonyms
soccer player (More common in North American English; explicitly means association football.)
|
player (More general; the sport is understood from context.)
Antonyms
spectator (A person who watches a sport rather than playing it.)
Collocations
professional footballer
|former footballer
|international footballer
|star footballer
|young footballer
|injured footballer
|retired footballer
|footballer turned manager
|footballer for a top club
|a famous footballer
Themes
sports
|people
|teams
Examples
- She became a professional footballer at 18.
- The footballer signed for a new club after the tournament.
- He was named the best footballer in the league last season.
Learner examples
- My brother is a footballer.
- She is a footballer for our school team.
Noun
B2
role
2
person who plays American football
a person who plays American football
Usage pattern:
a [college/pro] footballer
Common mistake:
In most US contexts, footballer sounds unusual; football player is the standard term.
Synonyms
football player (Standard term in North American English.)
|
gridiron player (Less common; emphasizes American football.)
Antonyms
spectator (A person who watches rather than plays.)
Collocations
college footballer
|pro footballer
|footballer on defense
|footballer in the NFL
Themes
sports
|people
|teams
Examples
- At college he was a footballer before turning to coaching.
- Several local footballers were recruited for the state team.
Learner examples
- In the US, he is a football player.
Grammar
Dictionary form
footballer
IPA
GB/fˈʊtbəlɚ/
US/fˈʊtbəlɚ/
Syllables & stress
foot - baller (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (foot)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: footballer
- Plural: footballers
Word family
Expressions
footballer of the year
1/fˈʊtbəlɚ əv ðə jˈɪɹ/
fixed phrase
award for best player
a prize for the best footballer of the year
Examples
- She won Footballer of the Year after an outstanding season.
- Three players were nominated for Footballer of the Year.
former footballer
1/fˈɔɹmɚ fˈʊtbəlɚ/
fixed phrase
person who used to play
a person who played football before
Examples
- The former footballer now works as a TV commentator.
- A former footballer opened the new sports center.
professional footballer
1/pɹəfˈɛʃənəl fˈʊtbəlɚ/
fixed phrase
footballer paid to play
a footballer who is paid to play
Examples
- He became a professional footballer after finishing school.
- As a professional footballer, she trains almost every day.
retired footballer
1/ɹɪtˈaɪɚd fˈʊtbəlɚ/
fixed phrase
footballer who stopped playing
a footballer who has ended their career
Examples
- The retired footballer returned to the club as a coach.
- A retired footballer led the charity event.
star footballer
1/stˈɑɹ fˈʊtbəlɚ/
fixed phrase
very famous top player
a very famous and successful footballer
Examples
- The star footballer scored twice in the final.
- Fans waited outside the hotel to see the star footballers.