With the proliferation of instant response online mechanisms such as Siri/Alexa, search engines, ChatGPT, etc., everybody is only a voice command/click away from becoming a football (aka soccer) expert; however, there are some aspects of the beautiful game that are not as simple as just “GTS”ing (Google that stuff) information. To aid in understanding one of the most fundamental principles of the game, we decided to put together a mapping of the original football jersey #’s to field positions based on the 4-4-2 formation (depicted below). It is of utmost importance to understand that the variations of the original 4-4-2 formation have forced the original jersey #’s to relocate positions on the field and in most cases even be altered field position names from their original intents back in 1924.
As a bonus of this exercise, we added a little Mexican Spanish translation to it. Here is a quick summary of a translation of football (soccer) positions between United States English and Mexican Spanish. Note: Some terms are “South-American” Spanish derived:
| Position # (varies by country) | English name (Abbreviation) | Spanish name | Alternative Spanish names |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Goalkeeper (GK) Keeper Goalie | Portero | Arquero Guarda meta Guarda-vallas |
| #2 | Right fullback (RB) | Lateral derecho (LD) | Marcador de Punta derecho |
| #3 | Left fullback (LB) | Lateral izquierdo (LI) | Marcador de Punta izquierdo |
| #4 | Center back (CB) | Zaguero central derecho | Barredora |
| #5* | Center back (CB) | Zaguero central izquierdo | Libero |
| #6 | Defensive Midfielder (DM) | Contención | Pivote |
| #7 | Right Winger (RW) | Extremo derecho | Volante derecho |
| #8 | Center Midfielder (CM) | Medio centro | Volante mixto |
| #9 | Striker Center Forward (CF) | Centro Delantero (CD) | Ariete Punta |
| #10 | Center Attacking Midfielder (CAM) | Enganche | Medio Creativo Media Punta |
| #11 | Left Winger (LW) | Extremo izquierdo | Volante izquierdo |
*In Mexico (and all of South America), the typical North American #6 is called a #5.
For an explanation of the main duties (in English) of these positions. See here. At a later point, I may provide a mapping of jersey #s to field positions for other formations such as the 5-3-2 or 4-2-3-1 or other variations.
With so much football going on this summer, we have neglected posting as often. We’ll try to regain our normal pace the second half of the year. Meanwhile, if you have suggestions on topics you would like discussed, let us know. #theGomezway
#TheGomezway 
Sure! Here’s a sample message you can use to request support for joining a football team:
Subject: Request for Support in Joining Your Football Team
Dear [Team Name/Coach’s Name],
I hope this message finds you well. My name is [Baraka godfreytemba], and I am an enthusiastic football player looking to join your esteemed team. I have a strong passion for the sport and a commitment to improving my skills.
I am reaching out to kindly request your support in the registration process to join your team. I believe that being part of your team will provide me with the opportunity to learn and grow as a player while contributing to the team’s success.
If there are any requirements or steps that I need to follow, please let me know. I would be very grateful for your guidance and support in this matter.
Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to your positive response.
Best regards,
Baraka godfrey temba
[225 749322689]
[Your Position/Skill Level, if applicable]
Feel free to customize the message as needed!
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