false nine

American

[fawls nahyn] / ˈfɔls ˈnaɪn /

Or false 9

noun

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.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

false nines

plural

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

But he failed to fill the void left by striker Harry Kane's absence when he played in a false nine role in the defeat by Japan on Tuesday.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

He should not be criticised for failing to shine as a false nine against Japan because it is a role he is unfamiliar with.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

That means they are without one of the Premier League's best strikers, and Anthony Gordon will probably play as a false nine, which is not ideal.

From BBC • Aug. 15, 2025

Wirtz, a £116m signing from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, filled a unfamiliar false nine role against Milan with Nunez and Diaz missing and new signing Ekitike not ready to play.

From BBC • Jul. 26, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023