Soccer vs Football: What's the Difference and Why It Matters

When people say soccer, a term used primarily in the United States, Canada, Australia, and a few other countries to refer to the sport played with a round ball and eleven players per side. Also known as football, it is the world’s most popular sport, played by over 4 billion people. But if you’re in the UK, Australia, or most of the world, calling it "soccer" sounds strange—because to them, "football" is the only correct name. The confusion isn’t about the game—it’s about language, history, and where you grew up.

The split started in 19th-century England, where multiple forms of football existed. Rugby football, association football, and others all had their own rules. To tell them apart, "association football" got shortened to "assoc." and then "soccer." Meanwhile, "football" stuck as the default for the most popular version. When the sport spread to the U.S., American football had already taken root, so "soccer" became the way to distinguish the two. In Brazil, they call it futebol, the Portuguese adaptation of the English word, deeply tied to national pride and identity. In Germany, it’s Fußball. The name doesn’t change the rules, but it tells you where the person is from—and sometimes, how passionate they are about it.

It’s not just semantics. The way people refer to the game affects how it’s covered in media, how kids learn it, and even how it’s marketed. In the U.S., you’ll find "soccer" on TV listings, youth leagues, and school programs. In England, "football" dominates newspapers, stadiums, and pub conversations. You can watch Premier League, the top professional football league in England, featuring global stars and intense rivalries on Fox for free with a digital antenna—but only if you’re in the right region. Elsewhere, you need a subscription. The game is the same, but the access, the language, and the culture around it? Totally different.

There’s no right or wrong name. But if you’re trying to understand global sports culture, you need to know both terms. Whether you call it soccer or football, the passion, the tactics, the late goals, the underdog wins—they’re all the same. And that’s what connects fans across borders. Below, you’ll find real discussions on how the sport is covered, watched, and lived around the world—from why Brazilians call it futebol, to what games you can catch for free on TV, to how gear and training shape the experience. No fluff. Just what matters to the people who play and watch.