false nine

American  

[fawls nahyn] / ˈfɔls ˈnaɪn /

Or false 9

noun

false nines plural

1. Soccer. a center forward player who drops back into the midfield to receive the ball, creating space and opportunity for teammates further up the field by drawing the opposing team’s defense out of their positions.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• false nines
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

false nine

The 25-year-old might be better known as a left-sided wide player, but he has already shown his ability as a false nine.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

The false nine who redrew the tactical map of European football.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026

"Of course I can picture him as a false nine," Guerrero said.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

Hence why we're seeing this new formation again, with the interchange and false nine.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026

In possession, Florian Wirtz played as a false nine, dropping deep and creating an overload for Liverpool in midfield, with Gabriel reluctant to track him.

From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2026