Across the globe, the sport played with a round ball at your feet is overwhelmingly called football, not soccer. Yet in the United States, Canada, Australia and a few other places, the exact same game is called soccer. This SEO-optimized article explores the soccer history name and explains why almost every country refers to it as “football”.
We’ll look at the origin of the word, how it spread, and exactly which countries call it soccer or football. By the end, you’ll understand the name’s origin and why the world mostly says football.
A key insight is simply this: around the world, the game’s official name is association football, and nearly everyone plays it “on foot,” so it’s natural that most languages use a version of football. The confusion over soccer vs football mainly stems from history in England and America, and the presence of other “football” sports (like American, Australian or Gaelic football) in some countries.
We will use maps, lists and stats (e.g. nearly 3.5 billion football fans worldwide) to show how the terminology differs by region.
Origins of Soccer’s Name (Soccer Name Origin)
The game’s formal name – association football – was coined in England in the 1860s to distinguish it from other forms of football. In 1863 the newly formed Football Association (FA) in London wrote the first rules for the sport. From its full name, Britons at Oxford University in the 1880s came up with the slang “assoccer” (from “association”), which quickly shortened to soccer.
A student of Oxford even said “assoccer” (sometimes spelled “socker”) and later “soccer”, similar to how rugby became “rugger”. Ironically, this nickname originated in England, not America. (Britannica notes the word soccer is “thoroughly British in origin”.)
Thus, the soccer name history begins in Victorian England: the word soccer was a playful abbreviation for association football. Over time, however, British usage shifted. By the mid-20th century most Brits dropped “soccer” in favor of plain football. Meanwhile, abroad the term spread. For example, the U.S. Football Association adopted “soccer” in its name in 1945, eventually becoming the United States Soccer Federation.
- Oxford “-er” Suffix: At public schools like Oxford, adding “-er” was common (e.g. “rugger” for rugby). Assoccer (then soccer) followed this trend.
- Distinguishing Football Codes: In countries with multiple football codes (American football, Aussie rules, Gaelic, etc.), calling the round-ball game soccer helped avoid confusion.
Why Most Countries Call It Football
The simplest reason: nearly everyone plays it by kicking a ball, so it’s naturally “football.” In fact, Business Insider notes that “the reason people all over the world call it football is simple — you kick the ball with your foot”. A popular world map of the terminology (see Figure above) shows all pink countries call it “football” (or their local word for it). Only the blue countries (mostly English-speaking ones) say soccer.
The term football also dates back further. Many medieval and folk “football” games involved playing on foot as opposed to on horseback. By the 1800s in England, the FA rules solidified the sport, and it became simply football. In most of Britain’s former colonies and other countries (e.g. continental Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa), the English word “football” or translations (fútbol, futebol, etc.) are used. For example:
- In Europe, nearly every country calls it football or a variant. A breakdown notes: “Across the continent, the sport is called football in most European countries”.
- In Latin America and Africa, Spanish and Portuguese speakers say fútbol/futebol, while English-speaking African nations may say football or soccer.
- In Asia, many countries (e.g. India, China) use a local term meaning “football” or simply the English word football.
In short, soccer is called football in what countries? Answer: almost everywhere outside of a few English-speaking ones.
Statistics underline its global reach. Association football is the world’s most popular sport, with an estimated 3.5 billion fans in 2025. The FIFA World Cup – held every 4 years – drew over 5 billion viewers in 2022 (1.5 billion for the final alone). With such popularity, it makes sense that most of the world identifies the game by the word “football.”
Soccer vs Football: Countries and Usage
Even though soccer and football describe the same game, different countries have settled on different names. The soccer vs football world map (Figure above) highlights this divide. Let’s break it down:
- “Football” Countries: The majority of countries (shown in pink on global maps) call the sport “football” or a direct translation. This includes all of Europe, the Middle East, Africa (mostly), South America, and much of Asia.
- “Soccer” Countries: The term soccer is mainly used in a handful of countries: the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of the Caribbean and Asia (e.g. Philippines). Notably, all of these have their own American-style or rugby-style football games. For example, the U.S. has the NFL, Canada has Canadian football, Australia has Aussie Rules and Rugby, etc. Where “football” could mean other sports, “soccer” became the clear label for association football.
- Historic UK Usage: Ironically, “soccer” was once common in England too. The term was widely used in Britain until the 1970s, after which it fell out of favour. Thus today UK media almost always say “football.” In contrast, countries that remained tied to British usage often kept “soccer.”
- Map Insight: A Business Insider story on this map points out: “Americans aren’t the only ones who don’t call it ‘football’… Much of Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, Oceania, South Africa and even Italy call it something other than ‘football.’”. That’s why Australia and South Africa (despite being former British colonies) officially say “football” today, but colloquially still often use “soccer” because of local sports culture.
- Asia and the Americas: In North America, the beautiful game is called soccer in the USA and Canada. (Mexico is an exception in the region – Spanish speakers there say “fútbol”.) In Australia, the sport was historically called “soccer” to avoid confusion with Australian rules football. However, in recent years Football Australia has even tried to rebrand to call it “football”. In Japan, the loan word sakkaa (サッカー) is used, clearly derived from “soccer”.
Key Differences (Bullet List):
- Name Origin: “Football” comes from the English name of the sport (playing on foot). “Soccer” comes from assoc. (association) slang.
- Regional Usage: As noted, most of the world uses football (or a foreign equivalent). Only a few English-speaking countries use soccer.
- Other Football Codes: In places with multiple football sports (US, AU, CA, IE), the term “soccer” helps distinguish it from American, Aussie, Canadian, or Gaelic football.
- Cultural Shift: Britain itself shifted from “soccer” to “football” mid-20th century. The USA, however, kept “soccer” as its main football code is gridiron football.
Image: U.S. soccer player in front of the American flag. In the United States and Canada the sport is almost always called “soccer,” reflecting the region’s distinct football culture.
Different Names for Football Around the World
Most languages have their own word for the game (often translating to “football”). Here are some examples of local names:
- Spanish-speaking countries: “Fútbol” (Argentina, Spain, Mexico, etc.).
- Portuguese-speaking: “Futebol” (Brazil, Portugal).
- German: “Fußball” (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).
- Scandinavian: “Fotball/Fodbold” (Norway, Denmark, etc.) and “Fotboll” (Sweden).
- Other: “Calcio” in Italy (meaning “kick”), “fodbold” in Denmark, “voetbal” in the Netherlands, etc. (The bubbleactive table lists “Fútbol”, “Fußball”, “Voetbal”, and more.)
Some countries use a hybrid of “football” and “soccer.” For instance, Ireland and Nigeria officially recognize both terms. Japan uses “Sakkaa” (soccer) and “Futtoboru” (football) interchangeably. In South Africa, the Afrikaans loan “sokker” coexists with “soccer”. Essentially, where English influence is strong or multiple football codes exist, “soccer” survives; otherwise local words predominate.
Soccer vs Football: The Difference
It’s worth clarifying that in common usage “soccer” and “football” refer to the same sport of association football (11 players a side, no handling of the ball). The confusion arises mainly in North America. In American and Canadian English:
- “Football” normally means American football (NFL), a very different game with an oval ball.
- “Soccer” refers to association football, the round-ball game.
In British English, association football was simply called football, as noted in the FA rules. When American football became popular, Americans adopted the slang “soccer” (invented in England) to avoid ambiguity.
To summarize key differences:
- Terminology: In the U.S., the word football usually means NFL-style football. Americans continued using the British slang “soccer” for the round-ball game.
- Gameplay: (For completeness) Soccer is played with a spherical ball on a 90×45–120×90 m pitch, 11 players plus a goalkeeper on each team. American football uses an oblong ball on a 100-yard field, and teams advance the ball by running or passing.
- Cultural Context: Because of these differences, in the US (and few other countries) the sport called football in most of the world is called soccer. Elsewhere, “football” always means association football unless otherwise specified.
This also explains the phrase “football and soccer different.” They are different words for the same game, but in American media the two words are not used interchangeably.
Frequently Asked Questions : Soccer History Name (FAQs)
Q: Why is soccer called football in most countries?
A: Because the game is officially “association football” and is played on foot. Nearly every country naturally adopted the term football (or a translation). Only a few English-speaking countries use “soccer.”
Q: What is the origin of the word “soccer”?
A: It originated in England. Oxford students in the 1880s coined “assoccer” from association (the FA), which shortened to “soccer”.
Q: Which countries call association football “soccer”?
A: Mainly the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and a few others. These countries have other football codes, so “soccer” became the preferred term.
Q: Which countries call the game “football”?
A: Most other countries: e.g. the UK, Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, etc. In these places “football” (or a variant like fútbol, futebol, Fußball) is used.
Q: What do other languages call soccer/football?
A: They usually use a version of “football.” For example, Argentina calls it Fútbol, Brazil Futebol, Germany Fußball, Nigeria both Football/Soccer. See the table below for a few country examples:
- Argentina: Fútbol
- Brazil: Futebol
- Germany: Fußball
- Canada: Soccer
- United States: Soccer
- Spain: Fútbol
- Italy: Calcio (Italian for “kick” – not shown in these sources)
Q: Why did Americans adopt the word “soccer”?
A: When American football (gridiron) took the name “football,” Americans needed a word for association football. They adopted the British nickname “soccer”. Over time America’s governing body even named itself with “soccer” to be clear.
Q: Did the British invent the name “soccer”?
A: Yes – British students at Oxford coined “soccer.” So it’s not an Americanism at all, but a British slang term from the 19th century.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the soccer history name comes from association football in 19th-century England. As the sport spread worldwide, most countries simply called it “football” because it’s played on foot. Only a handful of English-speaking countries kept using “soccer” – ironically a British invention – due to local sports culture.
This explains why is the game soccer called football in other countries: it isn’t really. Almost every country calls it football (or a translation) except where another football code dominates. The differences now are largely historical quirks.
Whether you say soccer or football, it’s the same beautiful game loved by billions. Enjoyed this deep dive into the soccer/football name debate? Share this article and let us know in the comments: do you call it soccer or football?
