‘It doesn’t make sense’: Trump proposes renaming American football

WASHINGTON, Dec 6 — Riding the excitement of the 2026 World Cup, US President Donald Trump suggested renaming American football, arguing that the sport played with a round ball—soccer—is the true football.

“We have a little conflict with another thing called football, but when you think about it… this is football, there is no question. We have to come up with another name for the NFL,” Trump said at the World Cup draw. “It really doesn’t make sense when you think about it.”

In the US, “football” refers to the hand-driven sport, while the rest of the world uses the term for soccer. Trump, a known sports enthusiast, has shown growing interest in soccer as the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada, approaches. FIFA President Gianni Infantino highlighted that the tournament would be the equivalent of 104 Super Bowls for Americans. — AFP