Football vs Soccer: Understanding the Global Debate

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You’ve probably wondered why the most famous game in the world is called differently in different regions. Actually, the answer is not so obvious. Let’s figure it out.

This sport is so popular that numerous tournaments are held (world, amateur, and yard), films are made, and video games, magazines, and merchandise are released. Bookmakers also rank it first. If you are into betting, be sure to check 1xbet football odds. And before we talk about the specifics of its name, let’s start from the beginning and find out how it came to be.

Historical Background

Since ancient times, people have loved to play with a ball or similar objects.

To understand how the most popular game in the world appeared, you need to delve into history.

Origins of the Game

The first mention of a ball played with feet was made in Ancient China and Ancient Rome before our era. The Chinese played with a round ball on square courts. This ball was made of leather and filled with bird feathers and animal hair. During the Han Dynasty, from 206 BC to 220 AD, football became an integral part of the ceremonies held in honor of the emperor’s birthday and was called “zu-chu” – “a ball kicked with a foot.” By the way, the Romans mainly considered football not as entertainment but as training for warriors.

Football, similar in appearance to what we see now, appeared in the 12th century AD in England. But there were also cardinal differences, for example, earlier, in addition to kicking the ball, punching was also allowed. Moreover, the game involved not 11 people from each team, but a whole crowd, which often eventually turned into a major brawl.

Football was first called football in England, but what is more interesting is that this name was given not at the time of the game’s origin and official recognition but at the time of its prohibition. In 1349, King Edward III, in his decree, drew the attention of the sheriffs of London to the fact that archery, so useful for young people, had faded into the background due to the passion of young people for useless games like football. Therefore, playing it was strictly prohibited – the punishments were the most severe, up to the death penalty.

The Birth of “Soccer”

In fact, the word “soccer” does not come from the USA but from England. Association football (according to the Association rules) was called in 1863 after the creation of the Football Association of England. This was done to distinguish the game from other varieties of football – for example, from rugby football (football according to the rules of Rugby School), where playing with hands was allowed.

Over time, full names began to be abbreviated in everyday speech and then in print. The football we are familiar with in England was first called “assoc.” In the 1880s, the term “soccer” was formed from it by adding the suffix “-er” in the Oxford manner. The same rugby football was abbreviated as “rugger.”

Regional Usage: Football vs Soccer

If the history is clear, then how are things now? In fact, the name soccer is used not only in the United States.

Europe and South America: Football Reigns Supreme

In England, the name “football” has become synonymous with the most popular sport, Association Football.

Rugby football has been shortened to rugby, and the word “soccer” has simply become obsolete and disappeared from English usage. Now, if it is used at all, it is used in a derogatory tone and is considered American. FIFA and the International Olympic Committee use “football” as the official international name of the game.

North America and Australia: The Soccer Exception

Over time, other English-speaking countries formed their own varieties of football. The word “soccer” took root in those places where other types of football were popular. In the USA, it is American. In Canada, it is Canadian; in Australia and New Zealand, it is Australian; and in Ireland, it is Gaelic. In South Africa, where rugby is very popular, the football we are used to is called soccer.

The 2010 World Cup final was held at the Soccer City stadium.

The Cultural Significance

Despite the different names, this sport has an equally strong influence on different countries’ cultures and daily life.

Football as a Cultural Identity

To understand how much Britain is a football country, it is enough to list a couple of interesting facts:

Currently, there are more than 40 thousand football clubs registered in the United Kingdom, which is several times more than in any other country in the world;
One state – four football associations. Great Britain is represented on the world stage by as many as FOUR national teams: England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland;
In every yard, class, school, and group, there is always a football team.

A British, no matter his profession, is an avid football fan, and you can always discuss football and everything connected with this sport. It would seem that the British are the coldest and most pragmatic nation in the world. Perhaps, but this is until it comes to football. It was in England that the culture of football fan movements was born. Violent fights, clashes, ambushes, and riots are all Matchday in England. The 20th century was ruthless in this regard. Almost every football match is a headache for law enforcement agencies.

In Great Britain, there is a tradition of holding football matches on the day after Christmas, which is the so-called Boxing Day. For the English, this is the most famous match of the year, and it gathers the most significant number of fans in the stands, regardless of the teams participating.

Soccer’s Role in Global Pop Culture

Until recently, questions about the existence of football in the USA and life on Mars seemed like rhetoric on the same level. Only fantasies about aliens were much more intriguing, and the world’s number one game in the States was destined for a purely sarcastic laugh. Despite this, in recent years, American soccer, as if flavored with somatotropic hormones, has snowballed and gained popularity on a truly national scale. The US national team regularly reaches the playoffs of the World Cup, pre-season tours of European giants to American cities gather 100,000-strong crowds for friendly matches, and local business sharks eagerly spend money on overseas entertainment. What provoked such a boom in a seemingly wholly non-football country?

Of course, television plays a huge role in the popularization of football. Media giants ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC, and others actively promote soccer to the masses and, for example, are not at all embarrassed to advertise a foreign championship – the English Premier League – in the most creative ways. And not at all because a third of British clubs have long belonged to Americans. It’s just that viewers, watching the best, willy-nilly, fall in love with this game. It is not surprising that soccer TV ratings multiply every year; the average attendance at stadiums (18.5 thousand people) beats the top figures of the NBA and NHL, and a record 110 thousand fans gather for the exhibition match between Manchester United and Real Madrid. You can be three times anti-American, but it seems that if they wanted, they could organize life on Mars.

The Ongoing Debate

Which term is more correct? Each of them has its supporters. Here’s how the battle between the names develops.

The Global Terminology Clash

The term “soccer” is used in only a few countries (USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand) to denote what is called “football” in Russia. It is rarely used in the rest of the world, and even in the countries mentioned, it is treated with ambivalence.

Unfortunately, the difference in terms fuels controversy between fans of different types of games. For example, Europeans often have a slight disdain for Americans, in particular, because the American version of the game uses helmets and armoгr, like in hockey, which fans of the traditional game ridicule.

Is One Term Better?

As we already know, the word “soccer” originated in Britain and continued to be used there happily—along with “football”—until about the 1970s, when a surge of bitterness and anti-Americanism made it practically radioactive.

However, while the two terms coexisted harmoniously in Europe, the opposite happened in America. By the early 20th century, the US already had its version of football, called “football.” As non-Americans like to point out, it was a sport in which a ball was played with the hands.

In those early years, the British tried popularizing football across the Atlantic. Articles in The Times from this period reflect curiosity about the sport and great confusion about what to call it. At that time, football in Britain had already split into two varieties: European football and rugby football, also known as rugby. In essence, both terms have a right to exist. Each of the names has deep historical roots, so it is incorrect to say which option is better.

Implications for the Future

Of course, we cannot know exactly what will happen. However, we can make some assumptions.

The Role of Media and Technology

America is a recognized leader in media and telecommunications. Therefore, the influence of its cultural values is powerful worldwide. Of course, this also applies to soccer. Over time, this name may take root in other countries.

This is especially true for countries that traditionally adopt American values. However, the number of traditional names is also large. Even in the boldest assumptions, we cannot imagine the return of soccer to Great Britain.

Will There Be a Winner?

In 2018, at a meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the White House, Donald Trump even suggested that the word “football” could replace “soccer” in the United States. It is highly doubtful that this will be the case. Most likely, the balance of power will remain approximately the same as today.

Conclusion

English-speaking people use two terms to describe the game – soccer and football, the difference between them is not evident to everyone. This often causes confusion and misunderstanding among fans. Now you know how both names appeared and why the conflict has persisted for many years.