Donald Trump says NFL should be renamed, claims 'soccer is real football' in World Cup draw

US President Donald Trump suggested that the NFL should consider changing its name, during the 2026 World Cup Draw at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC. He suggested that what Americans call ‘soccer’ should be ‘football' as it is called globally. He sparked one of the most stupid and oldest debates in Football, which has been discussed millions of times.

"When you look at what has happened to football in the United States, soccer in the United States, we seem to never call it that, because we have a little bit of a conflict with another thing that's called football," said Trump, to which he was met with subdued laughter.

"We have to come up with another name for the NFL stuff. It really doesn't make sense when you think about it," said Trump in front of NFL stars like Tom Brady and Eli Manning.

NFL vs Football

Some people reacted that it is long overdue for common sense. Football is played with a round ball and kicked with the foot; only the goalkeeper can handle the ball, whereas NFL, it's a lot more than just foot and a lot complicated. Let's say you can hold the ball with your hand and run with it. The NFL, or the National Football League, originated from Rugby with a little bit of modification. The oval-shaped ball remains the same, with two sets of goalposts on both sides. But suggesting the NFL, a cultural and financial behemoth in the US, should just “come up with another name” is a buzzing performance.

"Tackleball. Best I got. All we do is tackle the person with the ball. Rarely kick the ball at all," said one user in X, while another said, "Funny how it took him this long to realise the entire world already had that figured out."

Before suggesting the name change, FIFA President Gianni Infantino awarded Trump the first and only ever FIFA Peace Prize. The World Cup draw also featured many other like the comedian Kevin Hart and TV personality Heidi Klum, who introduced Infantino to kick off the show.