IPA: /ˈfʊtbɔːlər/
KK: /ˈfʊtbɔːlər/
A person who plays the sport of football, either professionally or as an amateur.
The footballer scored a fantastic goal during the match.
Footballer → It is formed from "foot" (from Old English *fōt*, meaning the lower limb) and "ball" (from Old French *balle*, meaning a spherical object used in games) combined with the suffix "-er" (meaning a person who). A footballer is a person who plays the game involving a ball and feet.
Think of someone using their 'feet' to play with a 'ball' — that's how you remember that a footballer is a person who plays football.
No commonly confused words.