What does goalless mean?
Goalless is an adjective meaning without a goal or goals. It is especially common in football and soccer reporting, where a goalless match, game, or draw is one that ends with neither team scoring. The phrase “goalless draw” is particularly familiar in British and Irish English, while the word is also used in American sports writing. Goalless can describe more than the final result: a goalless performance may refer to a team’s failure to create or convert chances. The term is usually neutral in tone, although it can sometimes suggest frustration or dullness when used of an attacking display. Its formation is transparent: it combines the word “goal” with the suffix “-less,” meaning “without.” The related noun “goallessness” is sometimes used when discussing a match or team as being unable to score.
adjectiveHaving no goals; especially used of a football match, draw, or performance in which no goal is scored.
- Having no goals scored, especially in a football match or draw.
"The two teams settled for a goalless draw after a tense and largely goalless first half."
"The goalless match was decided by a penalty in the final minutes."
"Both teams gave a goalless performance, failing to create a clear scoring opportunity."
"A goalless draw leaves the teams level on points."
Football's equivalent of a blank canvas: a goalless draw is a match that ends with the score still at 0–0.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does goalless come from?
Goalless is an English compound formed from “goal” and the suffix “-less,” meaning “without” or “lacking.” It belongs to a wider family of English words associated with goals, including goalkeeper, goalie, and goalscorer. The word developed within English sporting vocabulary and became particularly associated with football match reports.
Related word forms
How goalless is actually used
The word is most common in sports reporting, especially football or soccer coverage. It is normally used in British and Irish English but is also understood and occasionally used in American English. In football, it describes a match or draw in which no goal is scored.
Easily confused with goalless
Goalless means that no goal has been scored, whereas a goalpost is one of the posts marking a goal in football.