Examining the Position in Soccer that You Need to Understand if You Love the Game

Posted on February 6, 2026 by SoccerPunter

Soccer has recently skyrocketed in popularity in the USA. While the sport has been the world’s favorite for a long time, the United States have usually been focused on the four major leagues: football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. But soccer has recently overtaken hockey in popularity in the USA. Many even predict that it might keep on growing.

Soccer in the USA

Sportsbooks naturally perk up when a sport gets to be popular enough. American bookies were already honed in on soccer due to its general success worldwide. But the recent surge in soccer success has certainly pushed them to pay closer attention to the game.

Naturally, this has brought on several changes. For one, a lot more US citizens are now interested in soccer as a sport. Another change is that many want to learn more about betting. Tons of betting sites cover the sport extensively. Modern sports betting platforms also may double as Litecoin-compatible gaming platforms where you will find odds for eSports and even soccer-inspired slot games.

Why Positions Matter

But there are certain things you have to know about soccer no matter if you are a simple fan or a bettor. The simplest example we can give is a general understanding of the positions that players take up during a game. Most fans will understand that a soccer team consists of eleven players who each take up a unique position. But apart from the obvious positions, there are some who don’t know much about the role that each of the players has.

It isn’t necessary to have a professional understanding of each position that a player takes up. But it certainly can be beneficial to those that enjoy betting on the sport. Even casual fans can get a lot more out of the game if they learn a bit more about the positions. That is why our goal in this article is to examine the most notable roles that soccer players take up when they join the field.

The Goalie

The goalkeeper is the most obvious role in a soccer match. There is only one goalie on a team whose job it is to protect the goal and ensure that the ball does not cross the threshold. The goalie is the only member of the football team who is allowed to grab the ball with their hands or toss it to a friendly player. They are the last wall of defense that stands to prevent the enemy team from scoring.

Goalies often go underappreciated in popular culture. They are seen as little more than defenders who don’t contribute much in playmaking. But that could not be further from the truth. There have been a slew of impressive goalkeepers throughout history who have not only served as team captains, but also as the key playmaker that leads to a team’s victory.

Some of the best goalkeepers have entered history books and are now thought of as the top players of their generation. One cannot talk about goalkeepers without bringing up Lev Yashin. The soviet goalie was called a panther for his incredible agility and willingness to pounce on the ball no matter what it took. Gianluigi Buffon and Oliver Kahn are two other superstars that spent their football career defending the goal from the opposing players.

The Defenders

If there is one group of players that are more underappreciated than goalies, they would be the defenders. The defensive players are often positioned in front of the goalie. They serve to prevent opposing players from getting close enough to attempt and get a strike. These outfield players take up either the right or left flanks, but may even rarely be positioned in the center.

The disrespect and under appreciation that defensive players get is truly shameful. Without the defensive line, the goalkeeper’s job would be twice as hard. But their role goes beyond simple defense. A defender’s job is also to prevent the opposing players from maneuvering the ball and stealing it away in the last possible moment.

With that in mind, we cannot ignore Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool. He is consistently rated as one of the best players of his era. Van Dijk’s aerial capabilities and playmaking abilities have been praised by fans and even critics alike. Other defenders deserving of respect are players like Ruben Dias and William Saliba, who have been lauded for their consistency and speed respectively.

The Midfielders

Midfielders, or half-backs, are the chain that binds defenders and forwards together. A midfielder is the most dynamic player on the team, and usually the position that requires the most skill. After all, midfielders have to constantly change between offense and defense, all the while coming up with new tactics.

The midfielders are also responsible for generating most of the energy and action during a game. They tend to function as playmakers, though some have been known as excellent strikers as well. The most noteworthy midfielder of all time is most likely Diego Maradona. Due to his short stature, Maradona’s center of gravity was much lower than most players. This allowed for him to move fast and in unpredictable ways. He leveraged this skill to his advantage to outmaneuver his opponents and lead his team to victory.

Another noteworthy midfielder is the French player Zinedine Zidane. Zidane was a playmaker as so many other attacking midfielders of the era were. His success in the sport has resulted in him winning the Player of the Year award on three different occasions.

The Forwards

Finally, we reach the most popular and well-regarded football position. The forwards are players who operate closest to the opponents’ goal. They serve one purpose and one purpose alone, scoring. Often called strikers, the forwards have become the most iconic position in football, precisely because they have the most exciting task. There is no one more deserving of the best striker title than Pele. The Brazilian player was only one of two players to win the Player of the Century award. But so many strikers are have risen to the top since Pele. People like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe are excellent examples of modern strikers that carry the game.