Football vs. Soccer Naming Debate Ignites After Trump’s Remarks at World Cup Draw

At an international event drawing attention to the enduring American debate over terminology, President Donald Trump suggested that soccer should perhaps revert its name in the United States to align with global usage.

During the ceremonial draw for teams in the 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations held at Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Trump commented on the naming of the sport. As he reflected on watching the game, the U.S. President argued that the current term used in America is misleading and should be changed.

“Maybe we should just call it football again,” Trump remarked during a speech at the event organized by the World Anti-Doping Agency for its headquarters opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro earlier this year. “It’s not American football, which is very different.”

He made another comment on Sunday about changing the name to avoid confusion with gridiron football.

“We have to come up with another name,” Trump said after being handed what appeared to be a ceremonial copy of Olympic Games host city contracts by IOC President Thomas Bach in Lausanne. “Otherwise when they see ‘soccer’ for that sport, they might think it’s the American game.”

The U.S. has traditionally called this team-based ball sport with goals and a spherical ball, kicked primarily between feet, soccer rather than football to distinguish it from gridiron football.

In international contexts, however, what Americans call soccer is known as football — a term used in many countries worldwide including those where the American variant isn’t even played.