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Published 14:48 13 Jun 2026 GMT
Donald Trump has sparked another debate after suggesting the NFL should consider changing its name, arguing that soccer is the only sport that should be called "football".
The remarks were made during a speech alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who appeared to welcome the idea, reacting with visible approval while standing next to Trump on stage.
The clip has recently resurfaced following the launch of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, currently being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The flagship tournament has already seen an eventful start, with Mexico beating South Africa in the competition’s opening match, Canada drawing with Bosnia, and the US securing a dominant 4-1 win over Paraguay.
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Speaking about the sport’s growing popularity in the US, Trump said: "When you look what has happened to football in the United States, again 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."
He went on to question the naming of the NFL, adding: "But when you think about it, shouldn't it really called, this is football, there's no question, we have to come up with another name for the NFL. It really doesn't make sense when you think about it, it is really football."
The comments quickly divided opinion online.
Some viewers surprisingly agreed with the former president’s take, with one writing: "First time all year I heard this guy say something coherent, thought of, and made a little bit of sense."
Another added: "I never thought I’d live to see the day I’d agree with this man… he’s actually right for once."
However, many American football fans strongly pushed back on the idea. One critic responded: "That’s about as un-American as it gets."
Another joked: "I will call it Trump Ball, it will be terrific, it will be the best football since football."
With the World Cup now underway and global attention firmly on the sport, Trump’s comments have only added to the ongoing debate over what truly deserves to be called "football".
Published 16:27 14 Jun 2020 GMT
President Trump has reaffirmed his stance on players kneeling during the national anthem and has tweeted to say that he "won't be watching" the NFL.
Trump took to Twitter to react to the NFL and the U.S. Soccer Federation's recent change of stance on kneeling following the death of George Floyd after he was arrested by Minneapolis police officers.
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Writing on Twitter earlier this month, the NFL said:
"We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black People. We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter. #InspireChange"
U.S. Soccer - the organization that oversees the U.S. men's and women's teams that compete in various events, including the Olympics - also recently changed its policy which required players to stand during the playing of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' before matches.
The U.S. Soccer policy reversal was accompanied by a video from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, which apologized to black players and fans.
Watch the video below:
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President Trump described what happened to Floyd as "a very sad and tragic death," but he hasn't changed his stance about players kneeling during the national anthem in protest.
"I won't be watching much anymore!" the president wrote on Twitter, retweeting a news story about U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., calling out U.S. Soccer on reversing its policy.
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Gaetz tweeted that he'd "rather the US not have a soccer team" than one that kneels during the national anthem on Thursday.
"You shouldn't get to play under our flag as our national team if you won't stand when it is raised," Gaetz added.
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The original ban on kneeling during the national anthem was implemented in 2017 when women's team player Megan Rapinoe knelt during the national anthem in support of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began the practice back in 2016 to protest police brutality.
This comes as unrest continues to unfold across the US, as protests - some peaceful, some violent - are calling out the systemic injustices carried out against black people, not least seen by the recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor.
As well as a call for justice, these ongoing protests are also demanding an end to police brutality and the racism that is so deeply entrenched in America and the western world.
The message is simple: Black lives matter.
VT proudly supports Black Lives Matter, and for ways to contribute to the cause, please click HERE.
Published 12:14 12 Jun 2026 GMT
Donald Trump is set to miss the United States' opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite the tournament being hosted on American soil.
The US Men's National Team will kick off their World Cup campaign against Paraguay in Los Angeles on Friday night, with many expecting the President to be in attendance.
However, it has now been confirmed that Trump will not be at the stadium for the highly anticipated opening game.
According to reports, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will instead attend alongside other members of the administration.
Trump's absence has raised eyebrows as world leaders have traditionally attended their country's opening World Cup matches.
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended the host nation's opening game at the 2022 tournament, while Russian President Vladimir Putin was present for Russia's first match during the 2018 World Cup.
So why isn't Trump going?
According to Andrew Giuliani, CEO of the White House's World Cup task force, the answer is as simple as the President's schedule is simply too busy.
"He's not going to end up attending the opening game," Giuliani told TalkSport. "As we've said, his scheduling is tight. But I know he's going to be engaged throughout this World Cup."
Giuliani also hinted that fans shouldn't rule out a surprise appearance later in the tournament.
"Expect the unexpected," he added. "Throughout the course of this tournament, it wouldn't surprise me if we see him engage more and more with the World Cup."
While he won't be watching the US take on Paraguay, Trump is still expected to spend part of the weekend at a major sporting event.
The President is set to host a UFC event at the White House on Saturday evening as part of celebrations marking both his 80th birthday and the United States' 250th anniversary.
Trump has maintained a close relationship with UFC for years and has regularly attended events throughout his political career.
The 2026 World Cup marks the first time the tournament has been jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Despite excitement surrounding the competition, the build-up has not been without controversy.
Concerns have been raised over ticket prices, while international supporters have also faced questions surrounding travel requirements and visa restrictions.
Still, with the US preparing to begin its World Cup journey in front of a home crowd, all eyes will be on Los Angeles on Friday night - even if the President won't be in the stands.
Published 17:49 05 Aug 2021 GMT
Donald Trump has branded the US women's soccer team "Leftist Maniacs" after they won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
According to The Independent, the former President of the United States hit out at the players - and appeared to single out Megan Rapinoe in particular - in the aftermath of the team's loss to Canada on Thursday.
Trump commented in an official statement delivered to the press, which read: "If our soccer team, headed by a radical group of Leftist Maniacs, wasn’t woke, they would have won the Gold Medal instead of the Bronze."
He continued: "Woke means you lose, everything that is woke goes bad, and our soccer team certainly has. There were, however, a few Patriots standing. Unfortunately, they need more than that respecting our Country and National Anthem.
"They should replace the wokesters with Patriots and start winning again. The woman with the purple hair played terribly and spends too much time thinking about Radical Left politics and not doing her job."
"The woman with the purple hair" is believed to be a shot at USWNT forward Megan Rapinoe.
Commenting on the result in a later interview with reporters, 36-year-old Team US captain Becky Sauerbrunn stated: "That bronze means so much. It feels like we really had to earn that thing. And we’re very proud of it."
She continued: "Obviously we wanted to get a gold medal. Everyone wants to get a gold medal, Americans love golds. The fact is we potentially didn’t deserve to get a gold medal. We had to change the goal, and it became: 'Let's get that bronze.'"
Canada's win may be a huge moment for the team as a whole, but could also be historic for their midfielder, Quinn - who is the first-ever publicly out trans/non-binary athlete ever to compete at the Olympics.
Although Quinn represented Canada at the 2016 Olympics, they did not come out as transgender until last year. Quinn is now destined to be the first publicly out transgender medalist in Olympics history, which could be the prestigious gold.
Commenting on the honor of this important LGBTQ+ milestone in a recent Instagram post, Quinn wrote: "I feel sad knowing there were Olympians before me unable to live their truth because of the world. I feel optimistic for change. Change in legislature. Changes in rules, structures, and mindsets.
"Mostly, I feel aware of the realities. Trans girls being banned from sports. Trans women facing discrimination and bias while trying to pursue their Olympic dreams. The fight isn't close to over… and I'll celebrate when we're all here."
Published 12:43 09 Aug 2021 GMT
Megan Rapinoe has slammed former President Donald Trump for not supporting the US soccer team at the Tokyo Olympics.
Trump raised eyebrows after he called the team "Leftist Maniacs" after they won a bronze medal, and went on to add that they would have won a gold medal if they were not so "woke".
Trump commented in an official statement delivered to the press, which read: "If our soccer team, headed by a radical group of Leftist Maniacs, wasn’t woke, they would have won the Gold Medal instead of the Bronze."
He continued: "Woke means you lose, everything that is woke goes bad, and our soccer team certainly has. There were, however, a few Patriots standing. Unfortunately, they need more than that respecting our Country and National Anthem.
"They should replace the wokesters with Patriots and start winning again. The woman with the purple hair played terribly and spends too much time thinking about Radical Left politics and not doing her job."
"The woman with the purple hair" is believed to be a shot at USWNT forward Rapinoe.
Now Rapinoe has spoken out after being singled out by the former POTUS.
"It's a real sad dig into an old bag," Rapinoe said, per Insider, after she was asked about the comments. "I'm just like, 'You’re rooting for people to do bad?' Yikes."
Rapinoe has been an outspoken voice on the gender pay gap and has demanded fair pay from the US Soccer Federation.
The athlete has also kneeled for the national anthem to protest racial injustice issues, which was not welcomed with open arms by Trump.
Rapinoe said that despite it not being "the tournament we wanted" after falling short in the semi-final by Canada, she was proud of the team's achievements at the Olympics.
"The performance we had in the last game, that’s who we want to be and that’s who we are," she said.
Commenting on the result in a later interview with reporters, 36-year-old Team US captain Becky Sauerbrunn said, per New York Times: "That bronze means so much. It feels like we really had to earn that thing. And we’re very proud of it."
She continued: "Obviously we wanted to get a gold medal. Everyone wants to get a gold medal, Americans love golds. The fact is we potentially didn’t deserve to get a gold medal. We had to change the goal, and it became: 'Let's get that bronze.'"
Published 14:58 24 May 2018 GMT
Yesterday, the National Football League announced major changes regarding its policy surrounding the national anthem. The new rules mean that teams who have players that refuse to stand for the anthem can end up being fined for their player's conduct.
According to the new policy, players who choose to sit or kneel during the anthem will now have to do so "in the locker room."
“It was unfortunate that on-field protests created a false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic. This is not and was never the case,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “We believe today’s decision will keep our focus on the game and the extraordinary athletes who play it—and on our fans who enjoy it.
"This season, all league and team personnel shall stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem," Goodell added.
Players had been "taking a knee" during the national anthem since Colin Kaepernick began doing so in 2016. At the time, Kaepernick would sit down during The Star Spanged Banner in order to highlight the mistreatment of people of color in America. He said: "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid and getting away with murder."
Because of his roll in the protests, Kaepernick has been left without a team and is now a free agent. However, despite the fact he divided fans, there were plenty of players who supported their colleague and still do to this day.
The NFL's change of policy may have been popular with certain fans of the sport, but it drew swift backlash from players, with the NFL Players Association quickly noting that the league "chose not to consult the union in the development of this new 'policy.'"
Individual players who take part in the protest or supported their teammates throughout the ordeal, criticized the move, issuing statements across their social media in which they openly criticized the league and its rationale.
Malcolm Jenkins, a player for the Philadelphia Eagles, accused the league of thwarting "players' constitutional rights to express themselves and use our platform to draw attention to social injustices like racial inequality in our country."
Jenkins vowed not to "let the decision silence me or stop me from fighting" and his sentiment has been echoed by fellow professionals such as Torrey Smith, Damon Harrison and Chris Long.
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However, one person who thinks that the league has made the right decision, is President Donald Trump.
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Trump said that the NFL had done the "right thing," but didn't agree that players should even be allowed to protest in the locker rooms.
"You have to stand proudly for the National Anthem. You shouldn’t be playing, you shouldn’t be there. Maybe they shouldn’t be in the country," he said.
It's not the first time Trump has discussed the issue, the president has regularly weighed into the debate surrounding the protests, with him accusing players who knelt of "disrespecting" the USA.
Despite this, he denies that his opinions on the matter were the reason that the NFL decided the change the policy.
"I think the people pushed it forward; this was not me. I brought it out," he said. "This country is very smart; we have very smart people and, you know, that’s something ideally could have been taken care of when it first started, it would have been a lot easier, but if they did that, they did the right thing."
At the end of the day, Kaepernick's kneel wasn't hurting anyone, so what is the big hoo-ha? No one should be forced to stand for their national anthem, it should be a matter of choice.
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