Soccer is the most often used name for association football in the US and Canada, where other football codes are more prevalent. In 2005, Australia’s association football governing body changed its name from soccer to football to reflect the term’s broad use across the globe.

Language-creative Oxford University students differentiated between the sports of “rugger” (rugby football) and “assoccer” (soccer) in the 1880s (association football). The latter was shortened to “soccer” (sometimes spelled “socker”), and the nickname spread fast beyond campus.