The World Cup's Lingua Franca: Why 'Soccer' Finally Stays on Tap The debate over whether to call it "soccer" or "football" has long been a running joke for American fans, but its roots in linguistic and cultural history are anything but amusing.
A recent move by a craft brewery in Rhode Island to capitalize on this quip with a beer called "It's Called Soccer" brings the conversation full circle – from Oxford University classrooms to World Cup beer tents.
The origins of "soccer" itself date back to 1880s England, where it emerged as a clipped version of "association football.