Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:45 — 12.4MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Blubrry | Podchaser | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | Youtube Music | RSS | More
Football Phrase of the Week: Claim a spot
In this football phrase of the week we look at expressions connected to the word ‘qualify‘, including ‘claim a spot‘ after the recent 2026 World Cup qualifiers. You can read the transcript for this post 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 then you can contact us here.
DF: Hello everyone. This is Damian from the Learn English Through Football team and I hope you are all doing well.
And welcome to this week’s football phrase which is when we look back at some of the football language from the past weekend. Apologies for the delay in publishing this week’s football phrase but we wanted to include some news from the 2026 World Cup qualifiers which finished yesterday because today’s expression is, ‘to claim a spot‘ after Cape Verde, or Cabo Verde, claimed their spot or qualified for the upcoming 2026 World Cup finals.
Stinger: You are listening to Languagecaster (from a Cameroon fan)
DF: Yes, that was from a Cameroon fan and they would probably not be too happy today as Cameroon finished second in their African qualifying group behind Cape Verde. This means that the Indomitable Lions will have to play off against three other African sides to see which team can then play off again against teams from South America, Central America, Oceania and Asia. Cameroon will have to get past Gabon, Nigeria and DR Congo in the African section so it will be very difficult indeed.
Stinger: Hello from a Mozambique fan.
Yes, that message was from a Mozambique fan watching a World Cup qualifier against Guinea which they unfortunately lost. This defeat meant they are out of the World Cup as they finished third in their group behind dominant group winners, Algeria.
So, we now know the nine African qualifiers for next year’s tournament: Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Morocco, South Africa, Senegal, Ghana and, for the first time in its history, Cape Verde!
Congratulations to them – a wonderful achievement indeed. We can use lots of different language to describe this qualification. For example, we can say that they have ‘made the finals‘ or maybe, ‘they have secured a place in the finals‘. We can also use the word ‘spot’ instead of ‘place’ so, ‘secure a spot‘ or ‘book a spot‘ is another way of saying this. I also saw the phrase, ‘claim a spot‘ when describing Cape Verde’s qualification this week and which means that the ‘Blue Sharks’ (that’s their nickname) will play in next year’s finals.
So, to claim a spot means that there are only a certain amount of spots or places to fill in the tournament – the next World Cup has 48 places or 48 spots – and by winning their group, Cape Verde has been able to claim its spot in the World Cup.
Here’s a couple of examples:
Examples
- African islanders claim their spot at next year’s global showpiece (China Daily, October 15 2025)
- They defeated Eswatini 3-0 in Praia to secure their spot in next year’s finals… (Times of India, October 15 2025)
Stinger: You are listening to Languagecaster (in Twi from Ghana)
Yes, you are listening to the Learn English Through Football Podcast. And that message was from a Ghanaian fan and they’ll be happy on their qualification.
And congratulations to Cape Verde again on qualifying for their first ever finals. They will be making their debut along with Jordan, Uzbekistan, while Qatar also qualified for their first ever tournament (they qualified, of course, last time by being hosts).
Well done also to England who became the first European nation to qualify, while Saudi Arabia also claimed its spot in next year’s final to make 25 teams that have now qualified.
Stinger: You are listening to Languagecaster (a French fan)
DF: That message was from a football fan in French. I wonder can we get more football fans to send us on a stinger (or a message) for our shows; just say ‘you are listening to ‘Learn English Through Football.com’ in English or in any language that you know!
So, on today’s football expression of the week we looked at the phrase, ‘claim a spot‘ after lots of teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup next summer, including Cape Verde who will be playing in their first ever World Cup.
Can you remember other similar words or phrases to this expression? Well, we have secure a spot; qualify; make the finals and book their place.
And how would you say these phrases in another language that you know? How about your country, did they claim a spot at next year’s World Cup? Let us know by dropping a post on our forum or on the comments section below this post here at learnenglishthroughfootball.com. I know that Ireland still have a small, no a slim, chance of qualifying but honestly I don’t think they will secure or claim a spot in the finals.
Enjoy all the football this week and we’ll see you soon with another football-language podcast this weekend as we welcome back domestic football – I think it’s Liverpool against Manchester United! Bye bye.
Learn English Through Football Podcast: A show for football fans to improve their English language skills
https://languagecaster.com/football-language-glossary/
