I’m sure we could do an endless number of posts on World Cup vocabulary alone, but here are 20 example sentences to get you started in this area.
Other than listening to the commentary during matches, you can read newspaper articles to grow your French vocabulary.
The examples below use vocabulary that’s good to know for understanding commentators.
1. Le Portugal se trouve au bord de l’élimination.
Portugal is on the brink of being eliminated.
2. Le match s’est terminé par un nul.
The game ended in a draw.
3. Un nul dans le match contre l’Uruguay leur suffira.
All they need is a tie in the game against Uruguay.
4. L’Algérie a battu la Corée du Sud 4 à 2.
Algeria beat South Korea 4 to 2.
5. C’est le but!
It’s a goal!
6. Le ballon a bel et bien franchi la ligne de but.
The ball most definitely crossed the goal line.
7. Balotelli a inscrit un but en seconde période.
Balotelli scored a goal in the second period.
8. L’Italie est dans le groupe D avec l’Uruguay.
Italy is in Group D with Uruguay.
9. Koo a marqué un but pour la Corée du Sud.
Koo scored a goal for South Korea.
10. Slimani a marqué pour l’Algérie en première période.
Slimani scored for Algeria in the first period.
11. La Belgique a six points au classement.
Belgium has six points in the standings.
12. Son tir a heurté la barre transversale.
His shot hit the bar.
13. Son tir a heurté le poteau.
His shot hit the post.
14. L’Algérie a marqué son quatrième but à la 62e minute.
Algeria scored its fourth goal in the 62nd minute.
15. Origi a refilé le ballon à Hazard.
Origi passed the ball to Hazard.
16. L’Allemagne et le Ghana ont fait match nul 2 à 2.
Germany and Ghana tied 2 all.
17. Le Costa Rica s’est qualifié pour les huitièmes de finale.
Costa Rica has qualified for the last 16.
More explanation about these expressions here on the OffQc Facebook page.
18. Un match nul leur suffira pour passer aux huitièmes de finale.
All they need is a tie to make it to the last 16.
More explanation about these expressions here on the OffQc Facebook page.
19. La France vient de marquer deux buts à une minute d’intervalle.
France just scored two goals one minute apart.
20. La France a une avance de 3 à 0 à la mi-temps.
France has a 3-nothing lead at halftime.
Heya, great post. I have been practicing my french by watching some games lately. Quick question though. How does “huitièmes” mean 16?
Keep up the killer posts my friend.
Great, you’ll learn a lot through the matches!
French uses les huitièmes de finale, Italian gli ottavi di finale and Spanish los octavos de final (which are all based on the number 8).
The huitièmes de finale are the 1/8 finals. It’s 16 teams that go to the huitièmes de finale, so that’s where the English expression comes from.
The huitièmes de finale can also be called la ronde des 16 (Round of 16), for example: La Belgique s’est qualifiée pour la ronde des 16 (au Mondial), but it seems less frequent to me.
Thanks my friend. You’re the bees knees!@
Check this update too that I posted on Facebook:
I don’t think I have to wonder why there’s a picture of the logo of Team Italy there at the bottom of the post. Would I be in your good books if I said “Forza, Italia,” Felix? 😛 (Even though they are now officially out of contention, thanks to a goal and a bite, lol…)
I was very subtle, wasn’t I? 😉
Ah well, it’s all over for Italia this time…