For many years, there has been a geographical divide over which name is right. British fans almost ubiquitously agree that the correct term is 'football'. Whereas the majority of US fans would argue 'soccer' is its real name.

So what is it? GOAL takes a look at the origin of the linguistic divide and more.

Football or soccer - which is right?

Technically, the words football and soccer are both correct. They describe the same sport which was codified by the Football Association in 1863 and the words can be considered synonyms.

The word 'soccer' is actually a British export, which was used for many years before the globalisation of football.

However, despite this fact, many English fans completely reject the term 'soccer' and insist that the game should simply be called 'football', while the reverse is true for many American fans.

Indeed, the linguistic divergence was the subject of a light-hearted commercial for the 2022 World Cup featuring David Beckham and Peyton Maning, with USMNT fans singing "It's Called Soccer" at the tournament too.

What is the meaning of the word soccer?

Throughout the 1800s, the game that would eventually evolve to into modern-day 'football' had many different variations.

Around 1863, when the Football Association was first established, their official variant became 'association football'.

A similar version of the same sport, 'Rugby football', was shortened to 'rugby' around this time.

Meanwhile, 'Association football' was shortened to 'soccer' to further distinguish itself as a stand-alone sport.

The term also comes from a slang abbreviation of the word 'association', which was adapted to: 'assoc,' 'assoccer' and then 'soccer'

When did the word 'soccer' die out in the UK?

'Soccer' was used regularly by fans in the United Kingdom for large chunk of the 20th century. It was a phrase that was used interchangeably alongside 'football' and there was no great debate over which one was 'correct'.

By the 1980s, the use of the word 'soccer' had declined massively in publications and wider culture.

Which other nations say 'soccer'? The word 'soccer' is common in the U.S. and in the following countries:

Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa

Generally, the term is used where there is another more popular national sport which shares the name 'football'

Soccer, or football as it is way more commonly known across the world, is arguably the most beautiful sport in the world. It is also the most popular sport in the world by far no matter what source you refer to, with billions following it across the globe. Compare this to cricket for example, which is mainly played among Commonwealth countries and is relatively obscure in most of the world, including most of Europe, North and South America, and even Africa barring a few countries such as South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Or basketball, which while popular as a sport in many countries, only commands a high level of viewership and following in the United States and maybe a few other countries. This stands true for baseball as well which, while incredibly popular in the United States and surprisingly Japan, lacks the same fanbase elsewhere.

However, since the United States is a pop culture behemoth whose influence is widely seen across the world, the popularity of sports such as baseball, basketball and the National Football League all seem much more popular worldwide than they actually are. In contrast, football/soccer has diehard fans in Asia, Oceania, Africa, Europe and South America, with perhaps its lack of popularity being only in North

Who is the best football player in the world? The beauty of the question is the thousand-hour debate it will inspire among your friends, with no objective answer.

The Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo war appears to have passed into modern football mythology, but that leaves us no closer to a definitive answer as the next-gen megastars jostle for position.

We've based our list on a variety of factors. We have taken short-term form into account, but particularly strong or weak 2021/22 seasons have been overlooked in many cases so that players with a long history of incredible performances aren't shunted down at the first opportunity.

1. Lionel Messi (PSG)

"But, Ronaldo dropped to 10th?!" I hear you cry. There's no trying to hide the fact that Lionel Messi didn't set the world alight in Paris last season, well, at least by his ridiculous standards.

There's no doubt about it that Ronaldo and Messi will go down in history among the top three best football players of all time, alongside the late great Diego Maradona, but while Ronaldo's role has been boiled down somewhat, we're still witnessing the full-fat version of Messi.

Messi is the reigning ballon d'Or winner after a stunning final season in Barcelona and after finally lifting a trophy with Argentina. His influence should never be doubted, his talent never down-played.

Despite his rocky start at PSG, he still turned it around last season to score 11 and assist 14 goals in 33 appearances across all competitions, including the Champions League. He has already started 2022/23 with three goals and two assists in three games, meaning we could be about to see another big season from the little wizard.

2. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)

Lewandowski is one of the most in-form players in the world right now, there is simply no doubt about it. And he has been for some time. It feels like a great disgrace that he hasn't lifted a ballon d'Or in his berserk career.

The Polish icon boasts a well-balanced portfolio of pace, strength and technical ability, and his movement in the box is sublime. His positioning is always on point and there's no-one you'd rather trust in a one-on-one situation.

We know it's not all about raw stats, but we're going to leave you with some red-hot Lewandowski numbers to absorb. He scored 344 goals in 375 games across all competitions for Bayern Munich, including 41 Bundesliga strikes in just 29 games in 2020/21. He seems to be settling in nicely at Barcelona too.

3. Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)

In terms of raw effectiveness, you could argue Salah should sit ahead of De Bruyne, but in terms of the complete package, skill-set, technical ability, physical merits and mental toughness, De Bruyne may well be the No.1 complete footballer in the world today.

He is the best crosser of a football in Premier League history and has played some of the most outrageous passes you're ever likely to see. On top of creating goals, he can also rip nets from their stanchions himself.

This is all well and good, but what truly sets De Bruyne apart from the crowd of similar players is his surprising pace and physicality. The Belgian is a stronger than you may expect and at full throttle, he is a rapid mover with the football. He simply has it all.

Visit here:- Fotball