Soccer vs Football: Why the Different Names? Origin & Global Usage Explained
Few linguistic debates in international sports trigger as much passionate debate as "soccer" versus "football." While many European fans assume "soccer" is an artificial American invention, the word actually originated in 19th-century England as British university slang for Association Football. Here is the full historical explanation of where both words came from, why the United States, Canada, Australia, and Ireland adopted "soccer," and how linguistic history shaped global sports terminology.
Table of Contents
Key Guide Takeaways
- "Soccer" was coined in England at Oxford University in the 1880s as slang for Association Football.
- The word combined the middle letters of "Association" (SOC) with the Victorian Oxford "-er" suffix.
- The USA, Canada, Australia, and Ireland adopted "soccer" because they already had established domestic football codes.
- British fans used "soccer" comfortably until the late 20th century, when it was rejected as a perceived Americanism.
- Both terms are historically legitimate: "soccer" is simply a nickname for "association football."
Quick Answer: Why Are There Two Names?
The terms "soccer" and "football" refer to the exact same sport: association football. Contrary to widespread popular belief, the word "soccer" is not an American invention — it was coined in England at the University of Oxford in the late 19th century as aristocratic shorthand for "Association Football."
When modern football rules were first codified in London in 1863 by The Football Association (The FA), the sport was officially designated "Association Football" to distinguish it from "Rugby Football" (which allowed carrying the ball by hand). Oxford students added the fashionable "-er" suffix, shortening Association Football to "Assoccer," and eventually to "Soccer."
Countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and Ireland embraced the word "soccer" because they had already developed their own immensely popular domestic football codes (American football, Canadian football, Australian Rules football, and Gaelic football). To avoid daily confusion, those nations used "soccer" to distinguish the association game from their domestic contact sports.
"Soccer" was invented in England at Oxford University in the 1880s as slang for "Association Football." It only became viewed as an Americanism late in the 20th century.
The Surprising British Origin of the Word "Soccer"
In the 1880s at Oxford University, English public-school students developed a popular slang fad known as the "Oxford -er." Under this linguistic trend, words were playfully truncated and given an "-er" ending: breakfast became "brekkers," rugby football became "rugger," and five-pound notes were "fivers."
According to Oxford tradition, an undergraduate named Charles Wreford-Brown (who later captained the England national football team and served as vice-president of The Football Association) was asked by a classmate whether he was coming to play a game of "rugger." Wreford-Brown reportedly replied that he preferred a game of "assoccer" — taking the middle letters of "Association" (SOC) and adding the Oxford suffix.
The phrase quickly contracted into "soccer." For decades in Great Britain, "soccer" was a perfectly respectable, widely understood synonym for association football, used comfortably by English gentlemen, newspapers, authors, and even legendary BBC television programs like Match of the Day (frequently advertising "soccer results" in early editions).
Association Football -> Assoc -> Assoccer -> Soccer. First documented in print in England in the 1880s.
Why Was It Called "Football" In the First Place?
Many sports fans assume that "football" is named because players kick the ball with their foot. While this is certainly true for association football, medieval sports historians note that the original medieval designation had a much broader meaning.
In medieval England, aristocratic gentlemen played sports on horseback (such as jousting and polo). Peasants and common villagers, by contrast, played their games on foot. Any game played "on foot" with an inflated pig's bladder or ball was categorized as a "foot ball game," distinguishing it from equestrian sports.
This explains why games where players carry the ball in their hands — like American football, Canadian football, Rugby, and Australian Rules football — are still legitimately called "football": all of these sports descend from the same ancestral family of 19th-century English public school games played on foot.
Why the USA, Canada, Australia & Ireland Use "Soccer"
Why did the term "soccer" take permanent root in North America and Australasia while fading in modern Britain? The answer lies in domestic competition between sporting codes:
United States & Canada: By the time association football gained wider traction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, gridiron football (originating in colleges like Harvard, Yale, and Rutgers) had already captured the American and Canadian public imagination as "football." Referring to association football as "soccer" was an entirely logical, practical necessity to distinguish between the two sports.
Australia: In Melbourne and across southern Australia, Australian Rules Football (Aussie Rules or "footy") was codified in 1858 — five years before association football in London. When British immigrants introduced association football, Australians naturally called it "soccer." The national team even embraced the nickname "The Socceroos."
Ireland: In the Republic of Ireland, Gaelic Football (codified by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884) remains the national passion. In many Irish counties, Gaelic is referred to simply as "football," while association football is widely called "soccer."
When and Why Britain Stopped Using "Soccer"
A landmark 2014 study by University of Michigan sports economist Stefan Szymanski traced the frequency of the word "soccer" in British publications throughout the 20th century.
Szymanski discovered that British newspapers, commentators, and magazines used "soccer" and "football" interchangeably for roughly a century with no social stigma. The British game had popular magazines like World Soccer and famous television programs using the phrase.
However, beginning around the late 1970s and accelerating in the 1980s, the word "soccer" experienced a sharp decline in British popular media. As the sport surged in popularity in the United States through the North American Soccer League (NASL with Pelé) and the awarding of the 1994 FIFA World Cup to the USA, British fans began identifying "soccer" as an Americanism. In response, British supporters reasserted "football" as a cultural badge of authenticity and working-class heritage, reacting against perceived American commercialization.
What the Game Is Called Around the World
Across the globe, different languages have either translated "foot-ball" literally or transliterated the English pronunciation:
Direct Translation (Calques): In German, it is "Fußball"; in Dutch, "Voetbal"; in Swedish, "Fotboll"; in Polish, "Piłka nożna" (foot ball); in Mandarin Chinese, "Zúqiú" (足球 - foot ball).
Phonetic Transliteration: In Spanish, it is "Fútbol"; in Portuguese, "Futebol"; in French, "Le football" (or "Le foot"); in Russian, "Futbol" (Футбол).
Unique Native Words: In Italian, the game is called "Calcio" (meaning "kick"), referencing the ancient 16th-century Renaissance Florentine sport Calcio Storico Fiorentino.
In Japan: The game was historically known as "Shukyu" (蹴球 - kick ball), but in the modern era is universally referred to as "Sakkā" (サッカー), directly borrowed from the English word "soccer."
Frequently Asked Questions
Is soccer an American word? No. The word soccer was coined in England in the 1880s at Oxford University as slang for Association Football.
Why do Americans call it soccer? Because when association football arrived in North America, gridiron football was already established as the primary sport called "football."
What does FIFA stand for? FIFA stands for "Fédération Internationale de Football Association" (International Federation of Association Football), reflecting the sport's official full title.
Do other countries besides the US use the word soccer? Yes. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and Japan (sakkā) all commonly use the term soccer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called soccer instead of football?
The sport was officially named "Association Football" in 1863 to distinguish it from rugby football. Oxford University students shortened "Association" to "Assoccer" and then "Soccer."
Did Americans invent the word soccer?
No. British students at Oxford University invented the word in the late 19th century. It only became perceived as American in the late 20th century.
Why do Australians say soccer?
Because Australia already had Australian Rules Football (codified in 1858), so they used "soccer" to distinguish the association game.
What is the official international name of the sport?
The official name codified by FIFA and the IFAB is "Association Football."