Trump Sparks Controversy with Bold NFL Name Change Proposal in Football-Soccer Showdown

Former President Donald Trump called on America to embrace "football" as the proper term for the world's most beloved sport, even proposing that the National Football League (NFL) should rebrand itself to eliminate confusion.

The "football versus soccer" terminology dispute has sparked passionate debates among sports enthusiasts worldwide for decades. While the majority of nations refer to it as "football," America has maintained its use of "soccer" and reserved "football" for what's commonly known as American Football, the country's premier sport.

While accepting the FIFA Peace Prize during the 2026 World Cup draw ceremony, Trump proposed that American fans should adopt a different designation for the NFL to prevent any misunderstanding.

"Looking at the evolution of football in America, which we call soccer here, we consistently avoid using [football] due to our slight naming conflict with another sport we call football," Trump explained.

"However, when you consider it logically, shouldn't this truly be called... this is football, without any doubt. We need to develop an alternative name for the NFL. It genuinely lacks logic when you examine it closely."

What Led to Soccer Being Used in America?

Though predominantly used in America, the word "soccer" surprisingly originated in Britain.

The sport recognized as "football" in Britain is formally called "association football," distinguishing it from what's properly termed "rugby football." Rugby players would abbreviate their sport to "ruggers," while "association football" evolved into "soccers," though this terminology eventually faded away.

In North America, however, "gridiron football" gained massive popularity well before "association football" crossed the Atlantic. Enthusiasts routinely dropped "gridiron" from the name, meaning "football" was already established in American vocabulary. Consequently, "soccer" became the standard terminology.

This naming convention was officially established in the late 1900s. The United States Football Association transformed into the United States Soccer Football Association in 1945 and eventually became the United States Soccer Federation in 1974.

The NFL, conversely, has maintained its current name since 1922.