It’s Called Soccer and Football

The US men’s national soccer team (USMNT) made history on November 29, 2022. With a 1-0 victory over Iran, the Americans confirmed their spot in the Round of 16, with star captain Christian Pulisic scoring the only goal. There were many speculations as to whether this team would advance to the next round because of the strength of the other nations in its group, England, Wales, and Iran. Despite this doubt, the USMNT proved they belonged with a 0–0 draw against England and a 1-1 draw against Wales. After missing the 2018 World Cup completely, this performance was an excellent showing that the USMNT could compete on the world stage. However, even with the team’s outstanding performance in the 2022 World Cup, there is rising controversy behind the name of the sport they play. Is it soccer or football?

When the USMNT were placed into Group B along with England and Wales, there was an explosion of reactions regarding the sport’s name, since England and Wales, both located in the UK, call it football, while the United States calls it soccer. Throughout the history of this controversy, the rest of the world has criticized Americans for calling the sport soccer. There was prejudice against the USMNT’s skill due to the sport’s different name, leading to Americans being viewed as inferior in the world of football. To see why this culture is the case, one must look back into the history of the word “soccer.”

“Soccer” is the term colloquially used in the United States and adopted by countries like Canada and Australia. On the other hand, Europeans, Africans, and South Americans use the term football or fútbol. So why do we call it soccer and not football? Surprisingly, the word “soccer” is of British origin. In fact, during the 19th century, the British used the words “soccer” and “football” interchangeably. Because there were two sports in Britain containing the word football (rugby football and association football), scholars renamed association football to soccer, deriving it from “assoccer,” the combination of “association” and the suffix “er.” Meanwhile, in America, a version of soccer brought over by the Europeans rose in popularity, combining aspects of association football and rugby. To integrate these two sports, Americans adopted the word “soccer” for similar reasons as the British. Though the British later shortened rugby football to just rugby and renamed soccer to football, Americans stuck with soccer, using it as the main term for the sport.

On the game day of USA against England, there were many social media talks from famous influencers that constantly brought up the topic of soccer vs. football. Though this activity was mostly friendly banter, they touched upon the hidden divide that has separated European “football” from American “soccer” for years. In most European nations, football is the sport that everyone plays and that characterizes cities and regions, bringing their people together. In the United States, there is a more diverse array of sports that leaves soccer struggling for a moment in the spotlight. It falls behind basketball, baseball, American football, and hockey in engagement. Perhaps this situation was the case, but American soccer culture is evolving. This year’s world cup brought in record engagement, with watch parties full of fans, young and old, donning the colors of the flag. The American faithful in Qatar filled the stadiums with their voices. The archaic and frail “I believe that we will win!” has been replaced by the defiant “It’s called soccer!” which showed American defiance throughout their matches, especially that against England.

After drawing with Wales, many thought the USMNT had no chance at beating football mecca England or even getting a point against them. Despite all this doubt, the Americans performed better than anyone thought they would and drew 0-0. Though the result sounds disappointing, the match itself was characterized by a powerful American defense, silencing the typically rambunctious English offense. The best chance of the game came from Pulisic, who was denied by the crossbar. American goalkeeper Matt Turner kept the sheets clean with a few outstanding saves. This incredible match against England, which many saw as a contender to win the cup, proved to the world of football that American soccer tactics should be respected.

With a great performance in the group stages, the USMNT faced the Netherlands in the Round of 16. The “Stars and Stripes” ended up losing 1-3 and were knocked out of the tournament. Despite this loss, this team proved to the whole world that soccer shouldn’t be overlooked and that the USMNT have a lot of potential for future competitions. The days of quiet Americans supporting a sport that the nation has little interest in are over. This World Cup performance from the USMNT showed the world that there shouldn’t be controversy behind soccer and football. The most important aspect of the sport is to enjoy it together.