QUICK FACT: Origin of the word soccer

Category: The Beautiful Game

Did you know that the word “soccer” came from an abbreviation of the word “association football”? Back in the 1880s, students of Oxford University used to abbreviate words by adding “er” to the end. For example, breakfast was referred to as “brekkers” and rugby was referred to as “ruggers”. Charles Wreford Brown, once a student at Oxford University, is usually credited for inventing the word “soccer” but there is a lack of supporting evidence.