What Does FC Stand for in Soccer?

FC stands for “Football Club” when referring to soccer teams.

As you probably guessed, this does not have anything to do with American football like the New England Patriots or Kansas City Chiefs.

Raised as a European term, the abbreviation “FC” is becoming more popular in the United States and many teams are adopting it.

You’ll see youth soccer teams often named ‘[Town or Nickname] FC’. For example, our travel team is now called Warriors FC or Warriors Football Club.

With that said, let’s dig into the origins and how it’s being used in today’s game.

Where Did “FC” Come From?

“FC” started in Europe (surprise!). For any soccer fan, you’ll quickly notice that “FC” is often coupled with a city name. For example, Manchester City Football Club or Chelsea Football Club.

Other terms that might replace it are “United” or “Real”. “United” is another European phrase and it may mean two soccer clubs joined together.

“Real” leans more towards Spain. Examples of both are Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Using “FC” in the MLS

Major League Soccer (MLS) has become the fourth most popular professional sporting event in the U.S. Starting in 1993, it has already surpassed the National Hockey League (NHL).

Although it’s had its ups and downs, I feel very optimistic about the future of soccer here in the States.

With more overseas players coming in and homegrown players making a name for themselves, the future is bright for the MLS.

Following the footsteps of the European clubs, some MLS teams have adopted “FC”, “United” and “Real” as part of their names.

Here’s a list of teams that include “FC” as part of their club name:

• Chicago Fire FC
• Houston Dynamo FC
• Los Angeles FC
• Toronto FC
• Austin FC
• New York City FC
• Seattle Sounders FC
• Vancouver Whitecaps FC
• Charlotte FC
• San Diego FC (new)

As you can see, the abbreviation has gained major global popularity. I mean, can we blame them? It sounds cool and European 😉