President Donald Trump on Friday called for the National Football League to change its name, suggesting the term “football” more appropriately describes the sport of soccer. The remarks, made during the FIFA World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., ignited a new debate over the nomenclature of the two sports in the United States.
“When you look at what has happened to football in the United States, which is soccer in the United States, we seem to never call it [football] because we have a little bit of a conflict with another thing that’s called football,” Trump said, according to reports from the New York Times and Yahoo Sports. “But when you think about it, shouldn’t it really be called… this is football, there’s no question about it. We have to come up with another name for the NFL. It really doesn’t make sense when you think about it.”
The suggestion comes as the United States prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Canada and Mexico. Outside of the U.S., the sport is universally known as football. The historical divergence in terminology stems from the earlier popularity of gridiron football, now known as American football, in the United States. The United States Soccer Federation was originally founded as the United States Soccer Football Association in 1913, but simplified its name in 1974.
The NFL has operated under its current name since 1922, having evolved from the American Professional Football Association. The league currently dominates American sports viewership, attendance, and advertising revenue.
During the same event, FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, a decision that reportedly did not receive approval from the FIFA Council. The award was presented shortly after Trump had missed out on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize earlier in the year.
As of Saturday, February 21, 2026, the NFL has not issued a public response to President Trump’s suggestion. No formal discussions regarding a potential name change have been announced.
