the.com/footballer
Paid millions to kick a ball and occasionally fall over dramatically.
means A professional athlete who plays football (soccer) for a living, typically for a club team.
from Straightforward compound coinage: 'football' (itself from 'foot' + 'ball,' describing games played on foot with a ball, as opposed to ones played on horseback) plus the agent suffix '-er,' meaning 'one who does.' The word emerged in the 19th century alongside the formalization of football as an organized sport in Britain, once there were clubs, leagues, and paid players to actually call 'footballers.'
- average career
- ends around age 35, body already 60
- transfer fees
- can exceed small countries GDP
- diving skill
- oscar-worthy, zero acting lessons needed
- post-career path
- punditry, or surprisingly good chicken shops