2026 World Cup Language Podcast Day 29: (to) Tee Up
Day twenty nine at the 2026 World Cup and on this World Cup language podcast we look at the verb phrase to tee up and how it was used in the France v Morocco quarter final. You can read the transcript for this podcast below, while you can also check out our glossary of footballing phrases here and visit our site to access all our previous posts and podcasts. If you have any suggestions or questions about the phrase or our podcast then you can contact us here.
Welcome
DB: Welcome to the Learn English Through Football podcast and our daily World Cup phrase. My name’s Damon and I’m based in a hot and humid Japan. Despite Japan being knocked out in the round of 32, interest in the World cup is still alive. Like many fans worldwide I think, many Japanese fans have France as their favourites followed by Spain. In this show, we will be looking at a phrase from France’s 2-0 quarter final win over Morocco.
Contact
DB: We’d love to know what you think of the World Cup so far. Get in touch and let us know by sending us a message at contact@learnenglishthroughfootball.com. And, if there’s a piece of football language you’d like us to discuss, or if you have a comment or question, we’d love to hear from you. And, as always, your support means a lot—tell a friend about the podcast, leave us a positive review, and spread the word. We really appreciate it!
Stinger: You are listening to the Learn English Through Football Podcast.com (from a French fan)
DB: Thank you for that message, which was from a fan of France.
(to) Tee Up
DB: OK, now, let’s look at today’s World Cup phrase: ‘to tee up’. The phrase appeared in The Guardian’s report of France’s 2-0 win over Morocco. The report said: ‘Kylian Mbappé, once again, was the key figure, missing a penalty, scoring a stunning opener and then teeing up Ousmane Dembélé for the second.’
To tee up comes from golf. A tee is the small stand that holds the ball before the first shot. When you tee up a ball, you place it perfectly before you hit it with your golf club.
In football, to tee someone up means to create an excellent chance for a teammate, usually with a pass or cross. It’s similar to set up or provide an assist.
In the example from the Guardian, Mbappé didn’t score France’s second goal himself. Instead, he created the opportunity for Dembélé. We can therefore say that Mbappé teed up Dembélé, or simply Mbappé set up Dembélé.
Embed from Getty Images
(to) Steal the Show
DB: The quote also emphasises that Mbappé was involved in a missed penalty, scoring a great opening goal and teeing up his teammate. He did everything. For this kind of performance, we can say that Mbappé stole the show – he was the star of the game.
Stinger: You are listening to the Learn English Through Football Podcast.com (in Arabic)
DB: Thank you for that message which was in Arabic.
Goodbye
DB: OK, and with that we have reached the end of this short World Cup language podcast. We talked about a phrase to say that someone has set up a chance for a teammate – to tee up, and the phrase ‘steal the show’, to mean someone had a great game.
Remember to contact us and share any football language that you find interesting and tell us how to say the expressions we have talked about today in your language too. We’ll be back tomorrow with more football language from the World Cup. Until then, ta-ra!
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