Tags: Positions
Definition
Starting XI (Eleven) is the name given to the team that starts the game against another team.
What does it mean?
Most football teams have a squad of about 25 players but only 11 of these can start a game and so the team that a manager picks for a match is known as the starting XI. The phrase is sometimes written simply as XI in the media. In Latin, the symbol X refers to ten and I to the number 1 so XI means eleven. The phrase starting XI can be interchanged with the word ‘team’, so for example, the starting XI for Saturday’s game was named by the manager the day before.
Examples
- Example: Rooney was omitted from the starting XI after a bust-up with the manager.
- Real Madrid Starting XI against Betis: Lunin, Trent, Rüdiger, Huijsen, Mendy, Valverde, Bellingham, Thiago, Brahim, Vini Jr., and Mbappé
Learn More
Read more about the expression ‘starting XI’
Questions
- Who makes the starting XI for your favourite team?
Synonyms:
Team, Starting line up
