These are the 3 most popular sports in Spain
Sport is a great way to experience a country when you are traveling! Whether it is soaking up the atmosphere of a World Cup Final, or finding out more about local sports. Attending a match or game of your favorite sport can be a great way to experience a place outside of the normal tourist routes. But where do you start? Here are some of the most popular sports in Spain, and a little language to get you by when attending. Happy traveling!
Table of Contents
Photo via Flickr
Football
Of course, football is huge in Spain! La Liga is the premier league filled with big name teams you already know, like Real Madrid, F C Barcelona, and Valencia. If you are interested in looking at smaller games, truly you will be spoilt for choice. From the Segunda División with 22 teams, right down to the 1st Regional Division with 620, and then regional teams in addition to those, there is always something to watch. The system of relegation, promotion, and play-offs is similar in the top leagues in Spain to what you will find in other countries, though lower down with all the regional playoffs things can get complicated — perfect for delving into if you love football!
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So what language should you take with you when attending a match in Spain? We have you covered!
For the team:
Equipo — team
Defensa — defender
Extremo — winger
Barredor — sweeper
Delantero — forward
Centrocampista — midfield player
Portero / guardameta / golero — goalkeeper
Goleador — goal scorer
Sustituto — substitute
Un jugador lesionado — injured player
Juez de línea — linesman
Entrenador — manager
Árbitro — referee
For the game:
Torneo — tournament
Estadio — stadium
Partido — match
Equipo adversario — opposing team
Hincha/seguidor — supporter
Espectador — spectator
Saque de salida — kick-off
Intervalo del medio — half time interval
Seguno tiempo — second half
Temporada — season
Marcador — scoreboard
Marcar tres goles — score a hat trick
Descuento — injury time
Pasar — pass
Falta — foul
Tiro penal — penalty kick
Propia meta — own goal
¿Cómo van? — what’s the score?
El resultado final — the final score
Torniquete — turnstile
Línea de banda — touch line
Amonestar un jugador — to book a player
El campo — the pitch
La red — the net
Grada — terrace
Internada — tackle
Tacos — studs
Balón — ball
Banderines — flagposts
Los colors del equipo — strip
Photo via Pexels
Tennis
Tennis has a big following in Spain. With Rafael Nadal dominating so many grand slams and other international tournaments, Spain has a lot to be proud of with its support for tennis. Spain hosts two ATP tournaments in Madrid and Barcelona, attracting thousands of fans from across the country as well as abroad. In fact, tennis is so important to the country, that there are travel companies who arrange package holidays for visitors to incorporate playing tennis into their visit! So whether you are attending a match or playing yourself, there is plenty of tennis going on around you.
What tennis vocabulary do you need?
For the players:
Tenista — tennis player
El jugador con el servicio — server
El restador — receiver
El contrario — opponent
El juez de sillar — umpire
El juez de red — net judge
El juez de línea — linesman
El juez de faltas de pie — foot fault judge
El recogepelotas — ball boy
For the game:
Saque granador — ace
Ventaja — advantage
Bola de ruptura — break point
Iguales — duece
Juego — game
Globo — lob
Punto de partido — match point
Golpe paralelo — passing shot
Manga — set
Mate — smash
Volea — volley
Smash — smash
Cancha — court
El cuadro de saque — forecourt
La cancha de fondo — backcourt
La zona de saque izquierda/derecha — left/right service court
La cinta central — centre strap
La marca centra — centre mark
La línea lateral de individuales/dobles — singles/doubles sideline
La pelota de tenis — tennis ball
La raqueta de tenis — tennis raquet
Photo via Wikimedia
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Formula One
Our final choice for popular sports in Spain is Formula One. Think of Formula One racers and one of Spain’s very own is probably one of the first names on your lips. Fernando Alonso is a two-time world champion who has participated in 17 seasons of Formula One, and is currently driving for Toyota. Spain hosts a circuit for Formula One at Barcelona-Catalunya, which has capacity for a crowd of almost 141,000. When the Circuit isn’t hosting a race it is open to visitors, who can take a tour and get to experience what goes into Formula One behind the scenes.
So what language should you know before attending?
Carrera de automóviles — motorsports
Pilot — racing driver
Casilla — box
Embrague — clutch
La bandera de cuadros — checkered flag
Paddock — paddock
Posición — position
Hipódromo / pista de carreras — racetrack
Podio — podium
El neumático — tyre
Circuito — circuit
Aerodinámica — aerodynamics
Apéndice — apex
Carrocería — bodywork
equilibrio de frenos — brake balance
Chasis — chassis
Carlinga — cockpit
Fuerza G — g-force
Grava — gravel
manipulación/manejo — handling
Sobreviraje — oversteer
Calificativo — qualifying
Auto seguro — safety car
There are many popular sports in Spain! Which are you going to watch?