<![CDATA[This study examines conceptual metaphors in Instagram Reels posted by the @thebalbalans account. The research was motivated by the widespread use of metaphorical expressions in digital football narratives to convey abstract ideas through more concrete and relatable concepts. The study aimed to identify the types of conceptual metaphors employed and to describe the meanings embedded in those metaphors based on Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory. This research employed a qualitative descriptive method. The data consisted of metaphorical expressions found in 20 Instagram Reels videos uploaded by @thebalbalans. Data were collected through documentation, observation, transcription, and note-taking techniques. The collected data were analyzed by identifying metaphorical expressions, classifying them into structural, ontological, and orientational metaphors, and interpreting their meanings through source and target domain mappings. The findings revealed 64 conceptual metaphor expressions consisting of 29 structural metaphors (45.31%), 25 ontological metaphors (39.06%), and 10 orientational metaphors (15.63%). Structural metaphors were the most dominant type, indicating that abstract concepts in football narratives are frequently understood through more concrete experiences. The study also found that conceptual metaphors function not only as linguistic devices but also as cognitive tools for constructing meanings related to struggle, perseverance, loyalty, achievement, and emotional experiences. These findings demonstrate that conceptual metaphors play a significant role in enhancing narrative effectiveness and audience engagement in digital football content on social media.]]>
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