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Why football is called 'soccer' in the US and Canada
Key takeaways
- Margarita Rodríguez BBC News Mundo Getty Images Football is life for millions of fans around the world, but in two of the co-host nations of the 2026 World Cup, they tend to call it by a different name.
- And does that word annoy other football-loving nations?
- "When I was a child in England, the word 'soccer' was perfectly acceptable," Stefan Szymanski says.
Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.
Margarita Rodríguez BBC News Mundo Getty Images Football is life for millions of fans around the world, but in two of the co-host nations of the 2026 World Cup, they tend to call it by a different name.
In the US and Canada, it's known as soccer. But why? And does that word annoy other football-loving nations?
"When I was a child in England, the word 'soccer' was perfectly acceptable," Stefan Szymanski says.
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