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

Foden was used as a false nine in the Wembley loss to Japan, but the experiment failed and effectively finished his World Cup hopes.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026

From right wing to false nine, from the flank to the centre of the greatest club side in history.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

Tuchel fielded experimental line-ups against Uruguay and Japan, with Manchester City playmaker Phil Foden featuring as a false nine against the latter in the absence of injured Bayern Munich striker and England captain Harry Kane.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden was trialled as a false nine and did not have a good night but Tuchel has said this window has provided him "more clarity" than questions about his side.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026