Donald Trump has never been shy about sharing his opinions on sports. This week, he found himself with an opinion on one of the oldest controversies in American sports, what can rightly be considered football.
During a 2026 FIFA World Cup event, the U.S. president playfully said that the word “football” belongs to soccer, not to the NFL. It was a statement that garnered immediate notice as the FIFA World Cup is currently in progress in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Donald Trump Says NFL Should Find A New Name As Football Debate Resurfaces
President Donald J. Trump enters to speak at a rally in the fieldhouse at Rockland Community College May 22, 2026.
Trump made the comments while discussing soccer’s growing popularity in the United States. Standing alongside FIFA officials and representatives from the World Cup host nations, he questioned why Americans continue using a different name for the world’s most popular sport.
“This is football, there is no question about it. We have to come up with another name for the NFL stuff.”
Oh Boy: President Donald Trump wants the NFL to change its name so that soccer is the only sport named football.
"This is football, there is no question about it. We have to come up with another name for the NFL stuff."
😬😬😬 pic.twitter.com/hX1Adp2oyh
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 13, 2026
The president argued that the sport played around the globe has a stronger case for being called football because players primarily use their feet. In the United States, however, the word has long been associated with the NFL and college football.
The timing of the statement deserves attention. The 2026 FIFA World Cup opened on June 11, becoming a period of extreme popularity for soccer in North America. Trump constantly speaks positively about the event, praising recent ticket sales and the rising popularity of the sport.
These statements join a growing series of Trump’s thoughts on the NFL. In the past year, the league attempted to expand into the streaming sphere. He said that subscription fees made it more difficult for ordinary people to follow games.
At the same time, Trump continued to attack the new kickoff rules of the NFL, saying that the changes ruined one of the most popular football scenes.
Despite all the media hype, no one expects any name changes from the NFL organization. The league operates under its name for over 100 years and is one of the most influential sports brands today.