U.S. President Donald Trump attending the 2026 North America World Cup draw. Reuters=Yonhap News

U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that soccer should be called "football" in the United States, rather than "soccer," as it is known globally.

According to AFP and the New York Post, President Trump made these remarks on the 5th (local time) at the 2026 FIFA World Cup North America draw ceremony held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

He began by referencing the American term for soccer, "soccer," stating, "There's a little bit of a conflict with another sport called 'football,' so maybe we don't call it that."

He continued, "But if you think about it, we should call this sport 'football,' and the NFL should find another name," pointing out that American football is not the true "football."

The audience responded with applause to President Trump's remarks, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, a long-time ally, also encouraged the sentiment.

While most countries worldwide call soccer "football," for Americans, "football" primarily refers to American football, a sport played with hands.

Only in countries like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, which have their own unique "football" sports, is soccer referred to by the term "soccer."

American football. AP=Yonhap News

In this context, the "soccer" versus "football" naming debate has persisted for a long time. Many argue that the confusion surrounding the terminology is due to the United States' distinct naming of the sport.

However, Stefan Szymanski, a professor of sports management at the University of Michigan, presented an analysis in his 2014 book, "Football is Not Soccer," suggesting the origin of the naming dispute lies in Britain.

According to Szymanski, in the early 1800s, the sport of "football" and "rugby," the precursor to American football, were essentially derived from the same root and were similar types of games in Britain.

However, with the establishment of the "Football Association" in 1863 and the "Rugby Football Union" in 1871, the two sports officially diverged, leading to confusion over their names.

In this process, British students began using nicknames like "rugger" and "soccer" to distinguish between the two sports. The term "soccer" then became widely used among American soldiers stationed in Europe during World War I and World War II.

Subsequently, in the United States, American football, which evolved from rugby, developed independently, and this sport came to be called "football." The first official American football game was held in 1892.

Szymanski explained, "As soccer became deeply ingrained in American culture, there was a backlash in Britain against the use of the word 'soccer,' which had been used as a harmless alternative to 'football.'"