Why football is called 'soccer' in the US and Canada
The term 'soccer' originated in 19th-century England as a slang abbreviation for 'association football' coined by Oxford students. While the term fell out of favor in the UK, it remained the standard in North America to distinguish the sport from American football and rugby.
Why it matters
Understanding the linguistic history of the sport clarifies a common cultural friction point between North American and international sports fans ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Margarita Rodríguez BBC News Mundo Getty Images Football is life for millions of fans around the world, but in two of the co-host nations of the 2026 World Cup, they tend to call it by a different name.
The article provides a neutral, historical, and etymological account of a linguistic debate without favoring one regional terminology over the other.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in