An ancient transatlantic rivalry is heating up again, thanks to the World Cup

The sport Britons used to call soccer and Americans still do is becoming more popular – even among the men’s team, which trails behind the world-class women’s team, writes Phil Thomas

Football is now America’s fourth most popular sport (AFP/Getty)

There have been a few tense moments between the US and UK over the years. They kicked us out of their country. We burned down their White House. We tried to give them Piers Morgan. They gave him back. Rivalries are set to resume on 25 November as the US men’s national soccer team (USMNT) takes on the Three Lions in the second group B match of the World Cup in Qatar. The group also includes Iran and one of Wales, Scotland or Ukraine. (No prizes for guessing where loyalties will lie there.)

As for American participation, don’t assume that no one in the States cares just because the US already has international bragging rights in American football, baseball and basketball (and, to be fair, the Olympics, which is actually played by other countries).

Or that fans of soccer − as the Brits used to call it and the Americans still do − are just happy to accept they have the best women’s national team in the world with four World Cup wins, four Olympic wins, and plenty of household names, drawing a veil over the men’s valiant efforts to catch up.