What Countries Call Football Soccer? The Guide

To know what countries call football soccer, focus on four primary nations: the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In these places, “football” refers to a different, locally dominant sport, forcing association football to use the term “soccer.” The word itself is not American; it originated in 1880s England as Oxford slang.

Most global guides oversimplify. They label “soccer” as an American quirk and move on. That misses the real story, a linguistic split rooted in 19th-century British universities, exported by colonialism, and frozen in time by the cultural dominance of other football codes.

This guide maps the exact terminology used across six continents. You will get the historical origin story most articles skip, the official federation names that prove the rule, and the nuanced, messy reality of how people actually speak in countries caught between two words.

Key Takeaways

• The term “soccer” originated at Oxford University in the 1880s as shorthand for “association football.” It was common in Britain until the late 20th century.
• Only four countries primarily use “soccer”: the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Each has a different sport called “football.”
• 43 of 45 English-speaking FIFA federations use “Football” in their official name. The two exceptions are the United States Soccer Federation and Canada Soccer.
• Australia and New Zealand officially renamed their federations to “Football” in the 2000s, but “soccer” remains stubbornly common in everyday conversation.
• For the rest of the world, including football powerhouses like Germany, where I follow every Schalke match, the sport is exclusively “football” or a direct translation like “Fußball.”

The Origin Story: “Soccer” is a British Export

Forget the idea that Americans invented the word. The true history starts in the colleges of 19th-century England. When the Football Association codified the Laws of the Game in 1863, it created “association football.” This was to distinguish it from other football games, chiefly rugby football.

The slang term “soccer” formed at Oxford University in the 1880s by adding the “-er” suffix to “assoc.,” the common abbreviation for “association.” This followed a trendy pattern of the time, similar to how “rugger” came from “rugby football.” The term was documented in British newspapers and used casually for decades.

The word crossed the Atlantic with the sport itself. In the United States and Canada, rugby-style games evolved into American and Canadian football. These sports seized the generic term “football.” The older British import, association football, was left with its distinctive nickname: soccer.

The real twist happened back in Britain. By the 1980s, as the sport’s global popularity exploded, “soccer” began to sound like an Americanism to British ears. Its use declined sharply at home. The very country that created the word now rejects it. This terminology divergence history is a classic case of a colonial export outlasting its domestic use.

TL;DR: “Soccer” is not an American invention. It’s vintage Oxford slang that stuck in former British colonies where other sports took the name “football.”

The Core Soccer Countries: A Four-Nation Breakdown

The map of “soccer” usage is small but significant. These four nations share a common trait: a more popular domestic sport bears the name “football.”

United States: A Case of Linguistic Conquest

The American usage explanation is straightforward. American football, derived from rugby, became the nation’s dominant sport by the early 20th century. It claimed the word “football.” The association game had to differentiate itself. The United States Soccer Federation, founded in 1913, cemented the term. Interestingly, despite using “soccer,” American clubs increasingly adopt “Football Club” (F.C.) in their names (e.g., Los Angeles Football Club) to align with global tradition, a nod to the sport’s ancient origins in worldwide culture.

Canada: Following the Neighbor’s Lead

Canada’s story parallels the U.S. Canadian football is king. The national governing body, Canada Soccer (formerly the Canadian Soccer Association), explicitly uses the term. Here, “football” almost always means the gridiron sport, making “soccer” the necessary identifier.

Australia: A Sporting Identity Crisis

Australia presents the messiest case. “Footy” traditionally means Australian Rules Football. To avoid confusion, association football was called soccer. In 2005, the governing body rebranded from Soccer Australia to Football Federation Australia (FFA) to fall in line with global standards. Yet, the men’s national team remains the “Socceroos,” and casual talk still heavily favors “soccer.” It’s a nation with an official “football” policy and a popular “soccer” habit.

New Zealand: Rugby’s Shadow

Like Australia, New Zealand’s iconic sport is rugby football. The national body changed its name from New Zealand Soccer to New Zealand Football in 2007. And like Australia, the old term “soccer” persists in everyday Kiwi conversation, demonstrating how official policy lags behind decades of colloquial use.

TL;DR: The U.S. and Canada are fully committed to “soccer.” Australia and New Zealand are officially trying to switch to “football,” but you’ll still hear “soccer” on the street.

The Global Football Majority: Where “Soccer” is a Foreign Word

For the vast majority of the world, this debate does not exist. The sport is football, full stop. This includes every football-obsessed nation in Europe and South America.

Common mistake: Assuming Ireland or South Africa uses “soccer” like Australia. In Ireland, both terms are used interchangeably, heavily influenced by local media. In South Africa, “soccer” is an English term used alongside local language names; it’s not the exclusive label.

The global terminology map is overwhelmingly weighted toward “football.” Consider the official federation names: the English Football Association, the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (Germany), the Fédération Française de Football, the Japan Football Association. The pattern is absolute.

In non-English speaking countries, the local translation of “football” is used. These are not different words for the sport; they are the word “football.”
* Spanish: Fútbol
* Portuguese: Futebol
* Italian: Calcio (derived from “to kick”)
* German: Fußball
* French: Football

This linguistic uniformity is why a fan in Buenos Aires, Munich, or Tokyo would be confused by the term “soccer.” It simply isn’t part of their international naming conventions. The FIFA membership list is the clearest evidence. Of its 45 member associations where English is an official language, 43 have “Football” in their title. The two outliers, as we’ve seen, are the U.S. and Canada.

Why Terminology Matters: Culture, Media, and Perception

The words we use shape how we see the sport. Calling it “soccer” in the U.S. marks it as the other football, the imported one. This has real-world effects on media coverage, youth participation narratives, and the sport’s cultural standing.

The global dominance of European leagues like the Premier League and Bundesliga, which exclusively use “football,” exerts pressure. It’s why American clubs use “F.C.” and why Australian federations changed their names. They are trying to tap into that global football identity. I see this every week watching the Bundesliga; the football versus soccer nations divide feels less like a linguistic choice and more like a cultural signal.

I argued with a cousin in Sydney for years. He’d call it “soccer,” I’d correct him with “football.” He finally visited Germany, attended a Schalke match at Veltins-Arena, and heard 60,000 people chant “Fußball.” He texted me after: “Okay, I get it now. It’s football.” The immersive cultural experience overrode a lifetime of habit.

This shift is generational. Older Irish generations might say “soccer,” while younger fans consuming global media say “football.” The regional naming differences within a single country can be as telling as the differences between continents.

Navigating the Terminology Divide: A Practical Guide

So what should you call it? The rule is context. Know your audience and location.

1. In the United States or Canada: Use “soccer.” Everyone will understand you. Using “football” will cause confusion and require an immediate explanation.
2. In Australia or New Zealand: Be prepared for a mix. In formal or international contexts, “football” is increasingly correct. In casual local talk, “soccer” is still safe. Listen first.
3. In the United Kingdom, Europe, or South America: Always use “football” or the local translation. Using “soccer” will at best mark you as a foreigner, at worst as someone who doesn’t understand the sport’s culture.
4. In International or Online Settings: “Football” is the global standard. It’s the term used by FIFA, in international broadcasts, and by the vast majority of the world’s fans. Defaulting to “football” shows awareness of the global spread of terminology.

This isn’t about political correctness. It’s about effective communication. Using the right term is the first step in showing respect for the local sporting culture, whether you’re discussing field dimension comparisons with a groundskeeper or debating the cleat design variations best for a wet pitch.

TL;DR: Use “soccer” in North America. Use “football” everywhere else. In Australia and New Zealand, listen to the person you’re talking to and mirror their usage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Americans say soccer when the rest of the world says football?

Americans say soccer because a different sport. American football, became the dominant code in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and took the name “football.” The association game retained the British nickname “soccer” to distinguish itself. It is a classic case of linguistic necessity, not invention.

Is the word “soccer” British?

Yes, the word “soccer” is undeniably British. It originated at Oxford University in the 1880s as a slang abbreviation of “association football.” It was used commonly in the UK for much of the 20th century before falling out of favor as the sport globalized and the term began to be seen as an Americanism.

What do they call soccer in Japan?

In Japan, the sport is called both “sakkā” (the direct transliteration of “soccer”) and “futtobōru” (from “football”). The national governing body is the Japan Football Association (JFA), and “futtobōru” is the term used in formal and international contexts, aligning with global standards.

Does Australia say soccer or football?

Australia officially says “football.” The national federation is Football Federation Australia. However, in everyday conversation, a significant portion of the population still says “soccer.” This is due to the historical and cultural dominance of Australian Rules Football, which is often called “footy.” The country is in a period of transition between the two terms.

What is the correct term, soccer or football?

There is no single “correct” term globally. The correct term depends on location. “Football” is correct in the vast majority of the world, including the UK, Europe, and South America. “Soccer” is correct in the United States and Canada. In Australia and New Zealand, both terms have validity depending on context, with “football” being the official designation.

The Bottom Line

The divide between “soccer” and “football” is more than a linguistic curiosity. It is a living map of sporting history, colonial influence, and cultural identity. The four “soccer” nations are outliers, clinging to a word their own forebears invented because another sport claimed the generic title.

For the global fan, the takeaway is practical. When in Rome, or rather, when in Rio, Rotterdam, or Ruhr, call it football. When in New York or Toronto, call it soccer. And when in Sydney or Auckland, keep your ears open. The words we choose connect us to the local passion for the game, whether we’re debating the merits of a size 3 and 4 balls for youth development or the FIFA quality standards for the next World Cup match ball. That connection, in the end, is what truly matters.

Ahmed Mikail

I come from the “soccer heart” of Germany, the Ruhrpott. I have played, trained and followed soccer all my life and am a big fan of FC Schalke 04. I also enjoy following international soccer extensively.