It’s time for the United States to fall in line with the rest of the world and stop calling ‘football’ soccer, according to President Donald Trump.
‘When you look at what has happened to the sport, which we call soccer in the U.S., we never call it that because we have another conflict with a thing called football,’ Trump said while attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw Friday in Washington D.C. ‘But when you think about it, this is football, there is no question. We have to come up with another name for the other one. It really does not make sense when you think about it.’
Globally, fans distinguish between the sports by using ‘American football’ to reference the tackle football played in the NFL, colleges and youth levels. Americans using the term soccer is often looked down upon and joked about, while others defend the use saying it originated in England way back in the 1800s to differentiate rugby football from association football.
Before the World Cup teams found out their group placements, the draw kicked off with star-studded performances and guest appearances, including The Village People, Andrea Bocelli and Lauryn Hill.
Trump also was honored and presented with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.