The United States Football Association, which had formed in the 1910s as the official organizing body of American soccer, changed its name to the United States Soccer Football Association in 1945, and it later dispensed with the “Football” altogether. No longer just a nickname, soccer had stuck.

From there, the term was shortened to become “soccer” and became a nickname for the sport in England, but not what it was officially called. In America, however, gridiron football became the popular sport in the 19th century, which had its roots in rugby and association football.

There are a few different theories as to why football is called football and not soccer. One theory is that the word “football” actually comes from two medieval English words, “foot” and “ball.” At the time, the game was played primarily with your feet, so it made sense to call it football.