footballer

American  

[foot-baw-ler] / ˈfʊtˌbɔ lər /

noun

• footballers
  plural

1. a football player, especially a member of a college or professional team.

2. Chiefly British. a soccer player.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• footballers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of footballer

First recorded in 1875–80; football + -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

footballer footballers

"I didn't get together with him because he was a footballer so I never considered the footballer life - that he might just have to move at the last minute," she says.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

The son of former Manchester United footballer Mark Hughes died from sudden adult death syndrome, a coroner has found.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

It is clear from the first answer of a fascinating 45-minute chat that Chris Smalling is no ordinary footballer.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

His family revealed that the retired footballer spent his final years coaching athletes at Eagle High in Idaho.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

She wishes I didn’t have scabby knees from running around kicking canisters and falling down pretending I was the greatest footballer in the world.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt

While Premier League footballers can earn tens of thousands of pounds a week - sometimes hundreds of thousands - life in the lower leagues can be very different.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

Two Iranian female footballers who publicly defied their government have become Australian citizens.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

The changing room is busy with footballers going through their pre-match routines.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

The club are looking at young and intelligent footballers capable of playing for possession-heavy sides.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

Mike and I climbed into the bleachers with the rest of the footballers.

From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli