FC & AFC in Soccer: What Do They Mean?

It probably hasn’t escaped your attention that many soccer clubs in different parts of the world share similar names. And we don’t necessarily mean the same city name, either. 

The vast majority of teams have the initials FC or AFC following their name. But what does FC stand for in soccer? And what does AFC stand for in soccer? 

In this article, we reveal precisely what these two terms mean and introduce you to some variations that are also prevalent in different parts of the world. 

What does FC stand for in soccer?

In soccer, FC stands for football club. Although Americans refer to football as soccer, most countries in the rest of the world call the sport football, which is where the name comes from. It’s common for FC to appear after the name of the club – Manchester City FC, for instance – but it sometimes comes before – FC Barcelona. But when you see a team with the initials FC by their name, it simply means football club. 

What does AFC stand for in soccer?

AFC in soccer means Association Football Club. The ‘Association’ comes from the fact that soccer was traditionally called Association Football in the United Kingdom soon after it was formed. It’s for this reason that some clubs in England – such as Sunderland AFC and Leeds United AFC, retain the Association as part of their name. In terms of the running or the structure of the club, AFC doesn’t technically mean anything different from FC. 

What variations of FC and AFC are there?

While most clubs in Europe follow the FC and AFC protocol in terms of naming, there are multiple variations of this that are worth considering. Some of them include: 

• CF – Club de Futbol – e.g. Real Madrid CF. 
• AC – Associazione Calcio – e.g. AC Milan. 
• FK – Fudbalski Klub – e.g. FK Partizan 
• RB – RassenBall (Red Bull) – e.g. RB Leipzig & RB Salzburg. 
• CA – Club Atletico – e.g. Club Atletico Independiente. 

These are just five examples, but there are so many variations in soccer. However, the vast majority of clubs in Europe and the Americas adopt a traditional FC or AFC before or after their names. This makes things nice and easy and means we can easily interpret what the naming of the club represents. 

Of course, when it comes to different languages, it’s a little more difficult to work out exactly what the acronyms mean, as they’re not always represented as full words. Still, the examples above give you a good example of some of the most prevalent names in the game and are a good place to begin your own research into the naming of soccer clubs. 

Why is it ‘football club’ and not ‘soccer club’?

This is a great question and is something that so many people think about. After all, in North America, the beautiful game is known as soccer and not football. This is primarily because the national game in America is, of course, American football, and it would be confusing to have two sports with the same name. 

With this in mind, it would make sense if some of the teams in the MLS adopted SC instead of FC in their names. But the likes of Houston Dynamo, Atlanta United, and Charlotte, for example, all refer to themselves as football clubs.

One exception is Kansas City, but the S stands for Sporting as opposed to Soccer, so it’s not particularly relevant in this example. The naming of soccer clubs in this way in North America is undoubtedly confusing, particularly for newcomers to the game who don’t necessarily realize that the clubs are adopting the European naming tradition when establishing their teams. 

So, if you’re getting together with your friends and are about to start a soccer team, why not go with SC and start a trend! There’s no reason why you can’t call yourselves a soccer club instead of a football club, and it’s entirely up to you how you name yourselves. 

When speaking about a team, is it common to include FC or AFC?

You will find that when someone is talking about a certain team, they very rarely say the entire name of the club. For instance, you would be surprised to hear someone say that they support Club Internacional De Futbol Miami (for more reasons than one!). It’s easier for them just to say, “I support Miami.” 

This is true with the teams in Europe, too. Very rarely do you hear someone claim that they’re a fan of Manchester United FC or AFC Bournemouth, for instance. In other words, the FC or AFC is superfluous and not necessary when introducing a specific soccer team.

 

In some instances, you might use it as a distinguisher – like when you’re referring to LAFC instead of the Galaxy. Another example could be when you’re discussing the two Milan clubs, and you might refer to them as AC and Inter (although Italians call them Milan and Internazionale, respectively). 

So, while you’re well within your rights to call a team by their entire name, it’s not necessary to include the FC or AFC in most cases. 

Recap: FC & AFC in soccer

In answer to the question “what does FC stand for in soccer?” – it means football club, and AFC stands for Association Football Club. Even in North America, where the game is referred to as soccer, teams still prefer to call themselves FC as opposed to SC. 

This is undoubted because the game has its roots in Europe, and the naming traditions have continued into the present day. But as you know, it’s uncommon to refer to a team’s name in its entirety, so you don’t need to worry about this too much.