Sports emojis mostly mean the sport itself: a game, a match or practice. The medal emojis are the ones with a wider use, standing for winning, achievement and rankings.
Sports ball emojis
- βΎ Baseball: the sport, games and practice. MeetEdgar notes it is often used literally for matches or training, and sometimes figuratively for American culture.
- π Basketball: used to talk about basketball games, teams and hooping with friends.
- π American football: NFL, college football and game day. For what the rest of the world calls football, use the soccer ball.
- β½ Soccer ball: soccer or football, matches and fan posts.
- πΎ Tennis: tennis, courts and matches. Strictly speaking it is a racquet-and-ball pair, but people use it for the sport.
Medal emojis
- π₯ 1st place medal: winning, first place or "the best". It is handy for ranking a list ("π₯ the pasta").
- π₯ 2nd place medal: second place, or a runner-up.
- π Sports medal: Dash Social calls it a generic emoji for winners of any sport. Simplified says it is a symbol of achievement and success.
- π Trophy: a win, a championship or a big achievement.
When to use sports emojis
- Match results, fixtures and game-day chats
- Congratulating someone on a win
- Gym, training and fitness posts
- Ranking favourites with π₯π₯
Do sports emojis have hidden meanings?
Not really. We haven't found any widely used slang for the sports balls, so assume they mean the sport. If you've seen one used differently, tell us on its page. The medals are the only ones that have clearly moved beyond sport, into "you're the best" and ranking things.
Have your own take on a sports emoji? Add it on its page to see every meaning in one place.