English

Noun

the beautiful game ‎(uncountable)

1. (sometimes capitalized) football (soccer).
   • 2014 November 14, Stephen Halliday, “Scotland 1-0 Republic of Ireland: Maloney the hero”, in The Scotsman:

     Amid all the fevered anticipation of this fixture, few would have expected to witness an aesthetically pleasing example of the beautiful game.

   • 1990, Fauzi Omar, "Cheers to Kedah But Not At All to Fifa," New Straits Times (Malaysia), 18 Dec., p. 32:

     After watching Saturday's final, don't you agree that soccer is still the beautiful game that Pelé called it?

Usage notes

• Always preceded by the.