‘Football’ or ‘soccer’? Biden, Dutch PM banter on Twitter

VICTORY Netherlands’ Denzel Dumfries in action with Antonee Robinson of the US. The Dutch beat the Americans during the Fifa World Cup Round of 16 in Qatar. —REUTERS

WASHINGTON—The perennial question of whether it’s “soccer” (as Americans call it) or “football” prompted Twitter wisecracks between President Joe Biden and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte this weekend, as the Netherlands sent the United States crashing out of the World Cup.

“It’s called soccer,” Biden said in a video posted on Twitter wishing the US team luck ahead of their last-16 clash against the Dutch side on Saturday at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.

But the clinical Netherlands soon ended the United States’ World Cup dream, sweeping into the quarter-finals with a ruthless 3-1 victory—and Rutte was quick to respond to Biden’s tweet.

“Sorry Joe, football won,” he wrote, adding a wink emoji.

Biden’s response came Sunday morning.

“Strictly speaking, shouldn’t it be ‘voetbal’?” he replied, using the Dutch word for football.

“Kidding aside: congrats to your team and country, Mark. Rematch in New Zealand,” the US president added.

The 2019 World Cup-winning US women’s team could come up against the Netherlands at the tournament in New Zealand next year. —AFP