Atlanta United Style Guide

SECTION 2. MLS & INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL TERMINOLOGY

MLS CLUBS

Below you will find the proper spelling for each MLS Club, with first and second references, stadium name, city they play in, as well as their Tricode (three-letter code used for broadcast).

• Only first and second reference are allowed and only known and approved nicknames should be used; never make up a nickname for a club (e.g., “The Pigeons” for NYCFC) 

• Write all team names as plural nouns. This is contrary to AP style but similar to international wires. (e.g., “Atlanta United are playing on Saturday night”) 
• Clubs have teams. “Atlanta United 2” is not a club, it is a team within Atlanta United FC. 
• You can refer to an MLS club as “club” or “team” or “squad” or “side” - never use “franchise”.

INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC SOCCER ORGANIZATIONS

FIFA (1^st reference and preferred) 

If using the whole name of the governing body, it must be written in French and always include the abbreviation at the end: Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

For the following confederations affiliated to FIFA, use their abbreviation: 

Concacaf

• The whole name can be used, but it’s not necessary: Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football

CONMEBOL

• The whole name can be used, but it’s not necessary: Confederación Suramericana de Fútbol (in Spanish); South American Football Confederation(in English)

UEFA

• The whole name can be used, but it’s not necessary: Union of European Football Associations

For the following confederations affiliated to FIFA, use their whole name in English as a first reference, and their abbreviation as a second reference:

Asian Football Confederation 

• AFC (2nd reference)

Confederation of African Football

• CAF (2nd reference)

Oceania Football Confederation

• OFC (2nd reference)

US Soccer

• “US Soccer Federation” can also be used
• “US Men’s National Team” and “USMNT” can be used interchangeable 
• “US Women’s National Team” and “USWNT” can be used interchangeable

Mexican Football Federation

• “Mexican Federation” and “Federación Mexicana” can be used as a second reference

For international leagues, the first reference should always be their full name, and when applicable the abbreviation should be next to it. Next, we enlist the proper spelling for the most common international leagues: 

• Premier League (EPL) 
• LaLiga 
• Bundesliga 
• Liga MX 
• Serie A 

For leagues with ambiguous names or names with sponsors attached to it, the country of origin should be specified, as the examples below show: 

• Argentine Primera División 
• Colombian League (preferred), Colombian Liga BetPlay (official name)

If more than one league with similar names are included in the same text, the most globally recognized one should prevail. For example: 

• The striker began his career in the Ecuadorian league and was the top scorer in the Brazilian first division, before being transferred to the Italian Serie A (DO) 
• The striker began his career in the Ecuadorian Serie A and was the top scorer in Brazil’s Série A, before being transferred to the Italian Serie A (DON’T) 
• The striker began his career in the Ecuadorian league and was the top scorer in Brazil, before being transferred to Italy (also valid) 

For Colleges, the first reference should always be the name of the institution. Team’s or mascots’ nicknames can be used as a second reference, when relevant. For institutions where the abbreviations are widely recognized, either the full name or the abbreviation are valid as a first reference. For example: 

• University of Akron (1^st reference), Akron (2^nd reference), Zips (3^rd reference) 
• University of California Los Angeles, UCLA (both valid as 1^st reference)