Language is how you join in the world’s game

Soccer is the world's sport. Language is how you join in.

There's a difference between watching the match and being in it. You can follow a soccer game with the sound off and still know what happened. A goal is a goal. A red card is a red card. But that's not the part fans show up for.

The World Cup is chants in the streets, people yelling at screens, songs in packed bars, and conversations that switch languages mid-sentence. It’s one of the few moments where learning a few words actually changes the experience in real time.

Ahead of the World Cup, we’re launching a series of lessons built to help you sound like a real fan.

What you’ll learn before kickoff

Each lesson covers the language fans actually use during matches. You’ll learn soccer and World Cup vocabulary, celebration phrases, chants, friendly taunts, and the reactions people yell during key moments like penalties, corner kicks, goals, and red cards.

Think:

• “Olé, olé, olé”
• “Vamos, vamos”
• “Allez, allez, allez”
• “Nippon! Nippon!”
• “Dae-han-min-guk!”

The language of the game

No sport pulls the world into the same room like soccer. During the World Cup, entire cities temporarily switch languages. Fans from different countries end up chanting together, arguing over calls, celebrating in the streets, and teaching each other phrases in real time.

Spanish, French, Japanese, and Korean cover a huge slice of the fans you’ll come across. English rounds out the set for everyone traveling in. Pick a language, pick a team, and meet us on Speak.