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Sport is a universal topic, so if you have a few relevant Portuguese phrases memorized, it’ll be easier for you to strike up conversations in the Portuguese-speaking world—even more so if you practice with our tutors. By far the most popular sport in both Portugal and Brazil is soccer; its indoor variant, futsal, is also very popular in both countries, as is basketball. Other popular sports include, in Brazil, volleyball, athletics and martial arts (particularly judo, capoeira, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu), and in Portugal, rink hockey and handball.
In this post, we’ll go through some important sporting vocabulary, before looking at some Portuguese phrases and sentences for talking about sports.
Vocabulary
Sport
Esporte
Soccer
Futebol
Futsal
Futebol de salão/futsal
The word futsal, by which the sport is known in English, is an acronym of both futebol de salão and, originally, the Spanish fútbol sala (futsal originated in Uruguay).
(American) Football
Futebol americano
Baseball
Beisebol
Golf
Golfe
Basketball
Basquetebol
Athletics
Atletismo
Tennis
Tênis
Volleyball
Voleibol
Hockey
Hóquei
Rink hockey / roller hockey
Hóquei em patins
Ice Hockey
Hóquei no gelo
Gymnastics
Ginástica
Skiing
Esqui
Swimming
Natação
Surfing
Surfe
Martial arts
Artes marciais
Judo
Judô (BR)/Judo (EU)
Capoeira
Capoeira
Boxing
Boxe
Wrestling
Luta livre
Ping-pong
Tênis de mesa
Horse racing
Turfe (BR)/Corrida de cavalos (PT)
Bowling
Boliche
Sailing
Navegação
Phrases
I'm very good at tennis.
Eu sou muito bom em jogar tênis.
I'm really bad at soccer.
Eu sou muito ruim em jogar futebol.
My favorite sport is…
Meu esporte favorito é...
My favorite sportsperson is…
Meu esportista favorito é…
My favorite athlete is…
Meu atleta favorito é...
My favorite team is…
Meu time favorito é...
I think (x) is a better player than (y).
Eu acho que (x) é um jogador melhor do que (y).
I think (x) is a great player.
Eu acho que (x) é um ótimo jogador.
I think (x) is not a very good player.
Eu acho que (x) não é um jogador muito bom.
I think (x) is overrated.
Eu acho que (x) é superestimado.
I think (x) is underrated.
Eu acho que (x) é subestimado.
I think (x) will win the competition.
Eu acho que (x) vai vencer a competição.
The Portuguese phrases and vocabulary in this post are just a starting point. The best way of becoming proficient at talking about sport is to practice with an expert tutor. If you want a tutoring session to focus on sporting vocabulary, let our tutors know in advance and they will be able to accommodate you.