Trump Suggests Renaming the NFL So Soccer Can Be Called "Football"

During the December 5, 2025 FIFA World Cup draw event at the Kennedy Center, Trump said the NFL should adopt a different name, arguing that "football" more properly belongs to the sport known internationally by that name (soccer in the U.S.). He suggested the change "could be made very easily," floating the idea of executive action, though he offered no legal mechanism for the federal government to rename a private sports league.

The remark fits a familiar pattern in Trump's public statements: attention-grabbing, symbolic proposals with no clear policy substance or feasible path to implementation. The NFL, which has used its name since 1922, did not respond publicly to the comments.

The episode is emblematic of how cultural provocations can dominate news cycles even when they carry no practical consequence, diverting attention from substantive governance questions.