The world game is winning the war for the word ‘football’ in Australia, according to new data which Football Australia says is evidence of the code’s growing status among younger generations.
It has been almost 20 years since soccer’s national governing body began officially embracing the name used widely around the world in an effort to reposition the sport ahead of the launch of the A-League in 2005.
Matildas fans at a Sydney live site in August.Credit: Getty
While the delineation between “old soccer” clubs and the “new football” era under then-chairman Frank Lowy caused ructions within the sport that remain unresolved, there is little doubt the symbolic pivot helped establish soccer – or football – as a mainstream pursuit in Australia.
But if it ever caused confusion for supporters of Aussie rules, rugby league and rugby union, those days would appear to be over – or, at least, nearing an end.
Futures Sport + Entertainment’s tracker of the Australian sporting market, which surveys a sample of 1000 nationally representative sports fans each month, suggests that the round-ball code is beginning to break away from the pack when it comes to the term football.
For several years, Futures has been asking those fans this question: Which of the following sports do you first associate with the word ‘football’?
The data from August 2023 – when the Matildas’ run in the FIFA Women’s World Cup was captivating the country – saw soccer with 44 per cent of ‘top of mind association’, ahead of Australian rules (39 per cent) with the two rugby codes lagging far behind.
Futures’ global managing director, Kevin Alavy, described the findings as an interesting cultural shift.
“When Futures first started tracking this question, football was only very marginally ahead of AFL by top of mind association,” he said.
“Football’s growth in top of mind association means that the beautiful game could now be said to most ‘own’ the word ‘football’ in Australia. It takes time for language to evolve in culture, so this shift in favour of soccer is significant.”
The survey also found that 57 per cent of 14-17 year-olds, 54 per cent of men, 70 per cent of people born overseas, and 76 per cent of people from “upper classes” also first associated soccer with the word football. This, Alavy said, implies that the shift in word association will continue to swing in that direction over the coming years, regardless of what occurs at a sporting level.
While Aussie rules would probably have the strongest cultural hold on the word in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, that sport is becoming colloquially known as ‘AFL’ in the other rugby-dominant states – even though that is a misnomer as it technically refers only to the professional men’s league.
Football Australia chief executive James Johnson said it was more proof of how the recent success of the Socceroos and Matildas was resonating with the country.
“The findings represent a significant cultural shift in the Australian sporting landscape and are a demonstration of Australian society’s passion and love of our sport,” Johnson said.
“This shift in perception, especially evident among our young people underscores the growing influence and appeal of the beautiful game in the Australian psyche.
“As we chart our path forward, these data points serve as both an affirmation of our past efforts and a clarion call for the future. Our commitment is unwavering: to continue championing the growth of football in Australia, ensuring it thrives as a beloved and unifying force for all.”
