/ˌkiː.liˈɑːn (ə)mˈbɑː.peɪ/
kee·lee·AHNuhm·BAH·pay
USA · CANADA · MEXICO · SUMMER 2026
Talk soccer
like a local.
Every player name, every rule, every bit of trash-talk — said the American way. Walk into the conversation knowing how to say Mbappé, De Bruyne, and nutmeg before the whistle blows.
Mbappé em·BAH·pay
- 48
- Teams
- 16
- Host cities
- 356+
- Names & terms
First rule: it's soccer, not football
Half of sounding natural is using the American word. Here's what your friends will actually say.
- football soccer
- pitch field
- boots cleats
- kit jersey
- match game
- nil nothing “2–0” → “two–nothing”
- draw tie
- supporters fans
01
Star names you'll hear
The names commentators love and learners search for. Big = the stressed syllable.
/ˈkɛv.ɪn də ˈbrɔɪ.nə/
KEHV·ihnduh·BROY·nuh
/viˈniː.si.əs ˈʒuː.njɔr/
vih·NEE·see·uhsZHOO·nyor
/ˈluː.kə ˈmoʊ.drɪtʃ/
LOO·kuhMOH·drihch
/ləˈmiːn jəˈmɑːl/
luh·MEENyuh·MAHL
/ˈkrɪs.tʃən pəˈlɪs.ɪk/
KRIHS·chuhnpuh·LIHS·ihk
/ˌliː.oʊˈnɛl ˈmɛs.i/
lee·oh·NEHLMEHS·ee
/dʒuːd ˈbɛl.ɪŋ.əm/
JOODBEHL·ihng·uhm
/ˈsʌn hʌŋ ˈmɪn/
SUHNhuhng·MIHN
/ˈɑːʃ.rɑːf hɑːˈkiː.mi/
AHSH·rahfhah·KEE·mee
/ˌfɛd.əˈriː.koʊ vɑːlˈvɛr.deɪ/
feh·deh·REE·kohvahl·VAIR·day
/ˈrɑd.ri/
RAHD·ree
02
On the touchline
The managers calling the shots.
Lionel Scaloni
lee·oh·NEHLskuh·LOH·nee
Didier Deschamps
DEE·dee·ayday·SHAHN
Carlo Ancelotti
KAR·lohahn·chuh·LAH·tee
Mauricio Pochettino
mah·REE·see·ohpah·chuh·TEE·noh
Thomas Tuchel
TOH·muhsTOO·kuhl
Julian Nagelsmann 
YOO·lee·ahnNAH·guhlz·mahn
03
Learn the lingo
The words you need to follow the game — and jump into the chat at the watch party.
On the field
- goalkeeperGOHL·kee·per
- strikerSTRAHY·ker
- midfielderMIHD·feel·der
- defenderdih·FEHN·der
- wingerWIHNG·er
- forwardFOR·werd
Plays & moves
- dribbleDRIH·buhl
- tackleTA·kuhl
- headerHEH·der
- volleyVAH·lee
- nutmegNUHT·mehg
- assistuh·SIHST
The rules
- offsideAHF·sahyd
- penalty kickPEH·nuhl·teeKIHK
- free kickFREEKIHK
- corner kickKOR·nerKIHK
- handballHAND·bahl
- stoppage timeSTAH·pihjTAHYM
The tournament
- group stageGROOPSTAYJ
- knockout roundNAHK·owtROWND
- quarterfinalKWOR·ter·fahy·nuhl
- semifinalseh·mee·FAHY·nuhl
- the finalthuhFAHY·nuhl
- bracketBRA·kiht
Fan talk
- clean sheetKLEENSHEET
- hat-trickHAT·trihk
- equalizerEE·kwuh·lahy·zer
- underdogUHN·der·dahg
- the beautiful gamethuhBYOO·tih·fuhlGAYM
- the GOATthuhGOHT
04
Where it's played
Host cities across the US, Canada, and Mexico — the tricky ones.
HYOO·stuhn
see·AT·uhl
at·LAN·tuh
fih·luh·DEHL·fee·uh
lahsAN·juh·luhs
tuh·RAHN·toh
van·KOO·ver
gwah·duh·luh·HAR·uh
mahn·tuh·RAY
05
Know your nations
All 48 nations — the country name, plus the nationality word (what you call the team and its people) that trips folks up.
- Argentina ar·juhn·TEE·nuhNationality Argentine
- Brazil bruh·ZIHLNationality Brazilian
- France FRANSNationality French
- England IHNG·gluhndNationality English
- Spain SPAYNNationality Spanish
- Germany JUR·muh·neeNationality German
- Belgium BEHL·juhmNationality Belgian
- USA yoo·ehss·AYNationality American
-
Mexico MEHK·sih·kohNationality Mexican - Morocco muh·RAH·kohNationality Moroccan
-
Japan juh·PANNationality Japanese - South Korea sowthkuh·REE·uhNationality South Korean
-
Senegal sehn·ih·GAHLNationality Senegalese - Croatia kroh·AY·shuhNationality Croatian
-
Netherlands NEHDH·er·luhndzNationality Dutch -
Portugal POR·chuh·guhlNationality Portuguese -
Colombia kuh·LUHM·bee·uhNationality Colombian - Uruguay YUUR·uh·gwahyNationality Uruguayan
-
Norway NOR·wayNationality Norwegian -
Sweden SWEE·duhnNationality Swedish -
Switzerland SWIHT·ser·luhndNationality Swiss -
Austria AH·stree·uhNationality Austrian -
Czechia CHEHK·ee·uhNationality Czech -
Scotland SKAHT·luhndNationality Scottish -
Bosnia and Herzegovina BAHZ·nee·uhandhert·suh·GOH·vih·nuhNationality Bosnian -
Türkiye TUR·kee·ayNationality Turkish -
Ecuador EHK·wuh·dorNationality Ecuadorian -
Paraguay PAR·uh·gwahyNationality Paraguayan -
Panama PAN·uh·mahNationality Panamanian -
Curaçao kyoo·ruh·SOWNationality Curaçaoan -
Haiti HAY·teeNationality Haitian -
Tunisia too·NEE·zhuhNationality Tunisian -
Egypt EE·jihptNationality Egyptian -
Algeria al·JEER·ee·uhNationality Algerian -
Ghana GAH·nuhNationality Ghanaian -
Cape Verde kaypVURDNationality Cape Verdean -
Ivory Coast AHY·vuh·reeKOHSTNationality Ivorian -
South Africa sowthAF·rih·kuhNationality South African -
DR Congo deearKAHNG·gohNationality Congolese -
Iran ih·RAHNNationality Iranian -
Iraq ih·RAHKNationality Iraqi -
Jordan JOR·duhnNationality Jordanian -
Qatar KAH·tarNationality Qatari -
Saudi Arabia SOW·deeuh·RAY·bee·uhNationality Saudi -
Uzbekistan uuz·BEHK·ih·stanNationality Uzbek -
Canada KAN·uh·duhNationality Canadian -
Australia ah·STRAYL·yuhNationality Australian -
New Zealand nooZEE·luhndNationality New Zealander
Don't just read it. Say it.
SayWaader listens to your pronunciation and tells you exactly what to fix — name by name, word by word. Walk into the watch party ready.