Unveiling Canadian Soccer Jargon: Whats the Preferred Term?

Soccer versus football is a debate that reflects the unique culture and history of Canada. Soccer has largely replaced football in Canada as the most common term for soccer. United States culture and the need to avoid confusion between these two popular sports have emphasized this distinction.

Soccer vs Football in Canada

Time to take a look back

Canada’s love of soccer dates back to the nineteenth century, when the game was first introduced. The first reported game took place in Toronto in October 1876 between two local groups.

Soccer is growing in recognition across the country, with male as well as female teams receiving global attention. Take the 2012 London Summer Olympics as an example; the Canadian female soccer team was a shining star.

Despite soccer’s long history, how Canadians refer to it differs from other English-speaking countries. In order to understand why the majority of Canadians refer to “soccer” rather than “football,” we need to take a look at this historical nuance.

How important is a name?

” Soccer is the term used in Canada for what many people call “football.” This is contrary to other countries, such as the US, Australia, and New Zealand, which use “soccer.”. This was first developed in Britain in the 1800s.

“Soccer” is a term created by Oxford students to distinguish between rugby and association football, all of which were then combined into “rugger.”

The United States Football Association’s name change to the United States Soccer Football Association in 1945, and later dropping “Football” entirely, helped cement the term “soccer” in North America. This shift influenced Canada too, making “soccer” the norm.

Another reason Canadians stick with “soccer” is to avoid mixing it up with Canadian football, which is more like American football. This keeps things clear when talking about sports.

For more on why countries like Canada and the United States use “soccer,” check out our articles on why is football called soccer? and is soccer American or British?.

Cultural Differences

In order to gain a better understanding of the Canadian sports culture and history, we need to know why Canadians refer to it as “soccer” rather than “football.”

Soccer in Canadian Society

In Canada, the sport is known as “soccer,” not “football,” unlike many other English-speaking countries. This term has stuck around since the first soccer game in Toronto back in October 1876 between two local clubs (Alliance Visas).

Soccer has left a big mark on Canadian sports culture. As the first Canadian soccer club, the Dominion of Canada Football Association was formed on May 24, 1912, and registered as a FIFA federation on December 31, 1912.

Today, the Canadian Soccer Association runs both pro and amateur soccer, showing how organized and important the sport has become.

A professional competition held every year in Canada is the Canadian Championship, which features teams such as Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, CF Montréal, all nine Canadian Premier League teams, as well as the champions of League1 British Columbia, League1 Ontario, and the Première Ligue de soccer du Québec) (Wikipedia).

A key feature of this tournament is its competitive spirit and place within Canadian sport.

Calling it “soccer” and its role in society shows Canada’s unique cultural identity. For more on the history and global views, check out why is football called soccer? and which countries say soccer?.