Donald Trump teases changing the name ‘soccer’ to ‘football’ in the United States

‘I think we could do that’

While every other nation calls the world's most popular sport 'football', the US has always referred to it as ‘soccer’ — a moniker of its original name, Association Football. 

In their unwillingness to move forward with the times, it’s no shock that the US Men’s Team (USMNT) have only ever made the World Cup semi-finals once, way back in the 1930s. 

Now as the USMNT are preparing for next summer’s World Cup, which will take place almost entirely on home soil, they’ve been handed a beacon of hope by US President Donald Trump. 

The controversial Republican leader hinted to reporters yesterday that he might consider using an Executive Order to officially change the sport’s name from ’soccer’ to ‘football.’

A DAZN reporter asked Trump if he would consider changing the name and he responded: “I think we could do that”

The move would finally bring them in line with the rest of the world. 

Speaking about the World Cup more broadly, Trump said: “It’s about unity. It’s about everybody getting together and a lot of love between countries. I guess this is probably the most international sport, so it can really bring the world together.”

An Executive Order would allow the President to make the change with the stroke of a pen, without the need for congressional support.  

Trump has expressed his interest in the sport throughout the last week, first of all crashing Chelsea's award ceremony at the end of the Club World Cup Final, before revealing that the real Club World Cup trophy was actually residing in the White House and never passed into the London club's hands.