Italian Football Vocabulary: Common Terms in Italian Soccer

^{We may earn a commission from links on this page. Learn more}

I love Italy and I love soccer. So, I love to watch “The Beautiful Game” any chance I can, especially if I can watch it in Italian. Calcio, the Italian word for this most beloved sport, just sounds better when it’s in Italiano.

If you’re learning Italian, want to see a match in Italy, or just want to know the local language of the game, here are some useful Italian words used in the game of Calcio.

Allenatore = Coach

Arbitro = Referee

Autogol = Own goal

Biglietto/Biglietti = Ticket(s)

Calcio = Soccer/Football. “Calciare” also means “to kick.”

Calcio d’Angolo = Corner Kick

Calcio Libero = Free Kick

Campionato = Championship

Capitano = Captain

Capocannoniere = Lead goal scorer

Cartellino Giallo/Rosso = Yellow/Red Card

Classifica = Standings or Scoreboard

Giocatore = Player

Maglia = Jersey

Maglia da trasferta = Away jersey

Panchina = Bench

Portiere – Goalkeeper

Rigore = Penalty

Rovesciata = Bicycle Kick

Squadra = Team/Club

Stadio = Stadium

VAR = VAR!