Washington DC - Spurred on by World Cup 2026 fever, President Donald Trump said Friday that the term "football" should be exclusively reserved for soccer.

"We have a little bit of a conflict with another thing that's called football but when you think about it... this is football, there is no question. We have to come up with another name for the NFL," Trump said at the World Cup draw.

"It really doesn't make sense when you think about it."

For Americans, the word "football" refers to American football, a sport primarily played with the hands --– completely different from what the rest of the world calls football.

Almost the entire country tunes in each year to the NFL championship final, the Super Bowl, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino made sure on Friday to emphasize to Americans that in terms of size and exposure, the 2026 World Cup would be the equivalent of 104 Super Bowls.

Apparently encouraged by his youngest son, Barron, Trump has developed a particular affection for soccer that continues to grow as the World Cup approaches.

That enthusiasm doesn't extend to visiting supporters, with his administration's anti-immigrant agenda raising concerns about the hostile environment awaiting the hundreds of thousands expected to travel to the tournament.

The Republican has also repeatedly threatened to take away hosting rights from Democratic-led cities that he deems "unsafe."