Why Do Americans Call it Soccer, Not Football?
Americans always take the heat for saying “soccer” instead of “football.” In reality, the British invented the term, abandoned it, then gaslit the world into thinking it’s an Americanism. Let’s unpack this linguistic heist – and why Canada’s quietly nodding along.
You’ve heard it before: “Call it football, you colonial heathen!” Okay, maybe not exactly that. But still, the joke’s on the Brits. The term “soccer” isn’t some Yankee linguistic rebellion; it’s their own Victorian-era slang they abandoned once the sport went global.
For over a century, the United States and Canada kept using “soccer” to avoid confusion with another popular sport, American Football, also known as gridiron football. Meanwhile, the British scrubbed “soccer” from their vocabulary and now mock Americans for “misnaming” the sport they literally invented.
Yes, The British Invented Soccer
In 1863 the Football Association was created in Britain to standardize rules for association football. At around the same time, another sport, rugby, was becoming very popular.
The two were differentiated by Oxford students coining slang terms: Rugby: “Rugby.” Association Football: “Soccer.” By the 1890s, “soccer” was commonplace in Britain and appeared in the Times. A 1905 edition of the London Daily News casually referenced “a thrilling soccer match at Stamford Bridge.”
So why ditch it? As the sport spread worldwide, “football” became the English default term abroad. The British, suddenly surrounded by countries with their preferred name, then dropped the term “soccer” after World War II, and by the 1980s, it became “too American.”
America’s Practical Choice (and Canada’s Quiet Agreement)
Imagine if your neighbor named their kid “Football” after yours was already called that. You’d need a nickname, right?
That’s America in the 1880s. Colleges like Harvard and Yale were busy morphing rugby into American football, complete with forward passes and downs. “Association football” needed a distinct label to avoid confusion.
“Soccer” stuck because it solved a practical problem, no branding consultants required. It was similar in Canada. With Canadian football (think: wider fields, three downs) dominating, they adopted “soccer” too.
Nowadays, 70% of Canadians call it soccer – more than in Australia (46%) or Ireland. But that is only 10% of the worldwide mockery borne by the United States. Classic.
Which Countries Say Soccer and Why?
Nations using “soccer” usually have a rival football code. Australian Rules exist. Ireland has Gaelic football. South Africa has rugby and its own version of football. In these places, soccer is not confused, as in the United States.
But language pride complicates things. A 2014 YouGov survey had 77% of Americans saying “soccer” and 71% of Brits saying “football.” Canada: 75% soccer, 15% football. Globally, though, “football” dominates the conversations. 80% of FIFA’s 211 member associations use it.
The “soccer” countries? There are only 10 nations, but they’re loud and proud.
Great Britain’s Selective Amnesia
Here’s the irony: Britain invented soccer, exported it around the world, and was shocked when former colonies kept the word. It’s like selling someone a vintage car and then making fun of them for not upgrading to the Tesla you just bought. Maybe it’s time to quash the debate and just enjoy the beautiful game.
This whole debate isn’t just about the words we use; it’s about who gets to tell the story. As soccer went global, Britain rebranded it as “football” to stake their claim, while the U.S. stuck with “soccer,” thinking why change a good thing?
This has led to some lighthearted teasing between the two sides. In the end, it really comes down to understanding the cultural context and who controls the narrative around the sport we all love.
Soccer’s American Rebrand Brings More Fans
For decades, U.S. soccer was the outside bet. Early leagues folded. Pele’s glamour sank the NASL. And even the 1994 World Cup that gave birth to MLS was viewed skeptically.
But look now: MLS averages 22,000 attendees per match, which is more than NBA games. Lionel Messi’s arrival in 2023 at Inter Miami pushed ticket prices up by 1,700%, and the 2022 World Cup drew 15.4 million U.S. viewers for the England match alone.
Old stereotypes still hang around. People act like low scores or flopping are the worst things ever, forgetting that baseball has a ton of downtime and NBA players are known for flopping too. The big difference? Soccer’s worldwide popularity gets picked apart way more in the U.S.
The Name Game Doesn’t Define Fandom
Does it matter if you call it soccer or football? Not to the 47 million Americans who watched the 2022 World Cup. Or the 4 million MLS fans attending games yearly. Terminology doesn’t negate the U.S. women’s team dominating with four World Cup wins, either.
The British mockery is pretty much performative, a subtle jab at a rivalry in this beautiful game. It’s a way to needle Americans while sidestepping their own World Cup droughts (men’s team last won in 1966, just saying). Passion isn’t tied to vocabulary. You think Argentinians care what it’s called when they’re chanting for Messi? That’s the point exactly.
Soccer’s Secret Side Hustle in North America
What the Brits will not roast you for: North Americans are quietly making soccer a betting goldmine. Once federal sports betting restrictions were struck down in 2018 by the U.S. Supreme Court, soccer was the third most wagered-on sport in the United States, behind American football and basketball.
Soccer was 15% of all U.S. sports bets, a USD 5 billion market annually by 2023. The Canadians follow suit. Soccer dominated 18% of Ontario’s sports bets when it launched regulated online gambling in 2022, ahead of hockey in the summer months.
And here’s where it can get a little cheeky. Remember to check that casino $5 deposit you’re eyeing up to see whether it’s in Canadian or American dollars. At current exchange rates, 100 CAD is about 72 USD. There’s nothing worse than realizing your buddy’s “risk-free bet” is smaller because you forgot which dollar you were betting on.
Pro tip: Always verify the currency before boasting about your “awesome bonus” on social media.
Summary
To summarize, the term “soccer” began in Britain but was adopted by Americans and Canadians to differentiate it from local football. The British may mock the U.S. for the name, but they were the ones who changed it first. With soccer now thriving in the U.S., it’s clear the name hasn’t held the sport back and although soccer is still not the biggest sport in the U.S, it’s safe to say that there will come a point in the near future where it just might.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do British people make fun of Americans for saying “soccer”?
British people originally coined the term “soccer” as Oxford slang for association football, distinguishing it from rugby football, but later dropped it. Today, mocking Americans who still call football “soccer” helps Brits distance themselves from their own British English history.
Do Canadians say “soccer” too?
Yes, most Canadians refer to the game as “soccer” to avoid confusion with Canadian football, which has different rules and teams. Like in the USA, calling the sport “soccer” is common in countries where football refers to a different game played with a different ball.
Is “soccer” an American word?
No, the word “soccer” came from British universities in the 1800s to shorten “association football,” separating it from rugger (rugby). Americans simply never stopped using the term, while most countries like the UK, Ireland, and Australia went back to calling it football.
Why is soccer called football around the world?
Soccer is called football in most countries because it comes from association football, a sport originally formalized in England where the game is played primarily with the foot and a ball. Outside the USA, where American football (or gridiron football) dominates, countries like the UK, Ireland, South Africa, and Australia use the term “football” to refer to the same sport Americans call soccer, following the original British English naming conventions.
What is the formal name of popular ball sports in the United States?
In the United States, the formal name for soccer is association football, a term created in England to distinguish it from rugby football, while the most popular game played with the ball is a sport that Americans refer to as American football, or gridiron football. Americans call association football “soccer” to avoid confusion with football as it’s known domestically, unlike in most other countries like the UK, Canada, and Australia where different forms of football—like Gaelic football or Australian rules football—are also played widely around the world.
