The origin of 'soccer': Not American, but English

Many believe the word 'soccer' is an American invention, but its roots actually lie in England. According to Stefan Szymanski, professor emeritus at the University of Michigan, the term emerged in the late 19th century among Oxford University students, who had a habit of shortening words and adding the suffix '-er'. For example, 'breakfast' became 'brekker', and 'rugby' became 'rugger'.

From 'association football', they took the middle part 'soc' and added the suffix, creating 'soccer'. Historians have found written evidence that the term was used in England as early as 1885. British newspapers regularly used it until the 1980s, when 'football' gradually became dominant.

The term 'soccer' spread with the sport and is still widely used in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. In the US, the popularity of American football also played a role – there, 'football' refers to a different sport, so 'soccer' helps avoid confusion.

Professor Szymanski notes that many Americans apologize for using 'soccer', but that is unnecessary – it is an English word, and they should feel free to use it.